


Ace Attorney - The Final Trial

by NintendoAceAttorneyFan



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series, Persona 5, Super Smash Brothers, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 49,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25043983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NintendoAceAttorneyFan/pseuds/NintendoAceAttorneyFan
Summary: Apollo Justice and the rest of the Wright Anything Agency set off on a quest to do, well, what they always do: defending clients. However, things turn out differently than expected (Okay, I don't actually know how to describe the story properly, so we have this cliche-y description for now).I'm winging it right now, the story is pretty much improvised.Rated Teen for Language and Violence
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yup, first chapter of the story. Just a warning: The first 4 or 5 chapters are cringe, yeah they're pretty cringy... That's all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of these characters. Ace Attorney belongs to Capcom, Professor Layton belongs to Level-5, Persona belongs to Atlus (Sega), and Nintendo characters belong to Nintendo.  
> There are many spoilers in this story, proceed at your own risk.

"Hurry up, Apollo!" I heard a loud voice in the distance. "Are you going to oversleep again?"

I sat up, groggily. "Just… just five more minutes, please."

I heard the voice again. "We don't have that much time, Apollo! We have to meet Phoenix at the airport by 7:30!" 

I was so surprised, I jumped. "H-how long have I been sleeping?!"

I noticed a girl with orange hair standing next to me, hands on her hips. "It's almost six! You should've been up about an hour ago!"

I quickly ran out of the bedroom and shot down the stairs into the living room. I found my luggage—a few suitcases—and dragged them over to the front door. The girl seemed content, but she was still scowling. She motioned for me to come forward.

"Mister Wright said we were heading to different locations around the world. We would probably travel through Europe, and Asia, and many other places as well!"

The weather outside was dreary—overcast, pounding rain—and the traffic was terrible. We had temporarily moved to New York, and the traffic, as you would expect, sucked. I unlocked the trunk and jammed our luggage inside and entered the car. The girl sat beside me in the passenger's seat. We had to wait a few minutes for the cars beside us to disappear before we could move.

A few minutes later, I felt something vibrating. I panicked, and the girl beside me reached into my pocket. I would've normally gotten angry, but I was too focused on driving. She stared and started tapping my shoulder.

"It's from Mister Wright!" she shouted, ecstatically. "Come on, Apollo! Answer him!"

"You can do that, Athena," I grumbled. "I need to focus on driving." 

She pressed the answer button. "Hello? Mister Wright? You're already at the airport? Oh, you want to talk to Apollo?"

I mouthed "no" to Athena and shook my head, but she wouldn't listen. Instead, she put the phone on speaker, and I had to respond.

"Hey, Apollo," Phoenix said. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," I answered. "We're kind of stuck in traffic on the freeway. I can see the airport from here, but it'll take at least ten minutes. Anyway, how are you?"

"Everything's fine," he said. "Maya and I are taking a flight to England, and my daughter is with me. By the way, she really wants to talk to you." Suddenly, the sound disappeared. I'm guessing he was handing over the phone.

"Hi, Polly!" his daughter shouted. "It's been forever since we talked in person!"

"Hi Trucy," I muttered. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, I guess. Anyway…" She seemed very excited. "How would you like to be my assistant in the next magic show?"

I shuddered. "Er… I don't think that's a good idea, Trucy."

Suddenly, the line of cars started moving again. "Sorry, Trucy, I can't talk! I have to get to the airport!"

"Okay." She hung up, and we turned into the airport. Halfway along the ramp, we were stopped at a tollbooth. A burly man wearing a raincoat started at us. I rolled down the window.

"Please show your identification card, and you will be allowed."

I showed him my attorney's badge, and Athena sighed angrily. She slapped me, which made me feel like I was burning. The worker growled and lifted the STOP sign so we could pass under. 

I glared at Athena. "What's your problem, Athena?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Apollo! I just thought that wouldn't work!"

I continued driving through the parking lot until we got to the valet parking.


	2. The Attack

Phoenix and Trucy were waiting for us in the baggage-weighing area. When we entered the building, Trucy tackled me down in a hug. Phoenix had to pull Trucy away from me. I slowly got back up—I had cramps from that. Beside Phoenix, there was a person wearing a magatama, purple robes, and black shoes.

"Hi, Apollo!" She smiled brightly. 

"Uh… hi," I responded. "Er… what's your name?"

Her jaw dropped. She turned to Phoenix and grabbed him by his suit and shook him. "NICK!" she yelled. "He doesn't remember me?!"

Phoenix covered his ears. "Alright, Maya, why are you blaming me for that?!" The girl released him, and Phoenix turned to me. "Apollo, this is Maya. Maya Fey. Maya, this is Apollo. He will be coming with us on our excursion. Oh, and by the way, Maya testified in your trial remember?"

I held out my hand, and she grabbed it. Her grip was very tight—it felt like my hand was broken. Before Maya could cause any more damage, Trucy cut in.

"Polly!" she shouted. "My daddy says that we're heading to England! Says something about a professor."

"Trucy, shush! You'll spoil the surprise! I mean… you've never met the professor before, have you?"

"No, but I think I've read about him before. Wasn't his name… Edgeworth or something?"

Phoenix sighed and Athena groaned. Trucy looked at us with an insulted expression. We remained silent until the screen listing the flights changed. Apparently, our flight was delayed for about forty-five minutes, so our flight was delayed to about nine. 

"Anyway," I started, "is there anyone else we're waiting for?"

Phoenix nodded. "Well, Edgeworth is also coming, but he won't show up for at least a day. He has a trial in Berlin he has to complete."

"How long would it take to fly from Berlin to London?" Athena asked.

"Not too long. Only about two hours. The flight from New York City to London, though… that's going to take a long time."

Athena reached into her raincoat pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. She unfolded it, revealing a map of the airport. Phoenix asked for the pamphlet, and Athena handed it over. Before he could unfold the paper, Maya snatched it. 

"We haven't eaten breakfast yet, Nick," Maya noted, and Phoenix nodded. "Maybe we could pick up McDonald's or Burger King. Besides, the flight time will be about eight hours."

"Why are we going to England?" I asked.

Phoenix wouldn't make eye contact. "There's a trial there scheduled for tonight. Layton says he needs assistance. The trial has gotten so severe, he can't defend his client anymore." His phone started ringing. "Hang on, Apollo. I need to take this call." I nodded. "Hello? Yes… um… the flight's been delayed. We'll arrive there at about 5 PM. Okay, your client is disrupting the trial? Well… ah, alright, fine. I'll meet you at the main courthouse." He hung up. "It's gonna be a long flight. Anyway, let's get something to eat!"

Trucy grabbed my hand and rushed me away. Phoenix and Maya walked in the other direction. We met up with Athena again in the McDonald's line. I pulled out my wallet and ordered us some burgers and returned to our spot. Phoenix and Maya were still missing. I sat down, trying to think about what could've happened when I heard a loud scream. It sounded like… Maya.

"Come on, guys!" I shouted. "Maya must be in trouble!"

"And Mister Wright, too," Athena noted.

"Whatever. They need our help!"

We ran through the terminal, trying to find Maya. Eventually, we found her, sobbing, and praying. In front of her, Phoenix was unconscious, an arrow sticking out of his leg. I looked at the second-floor balconies, trying to find a suspect, but I couldn't. On the ceiling, I saw a shadow dart by. It was there for about a second, and it just vanished.

"Miss Maya!" Trucy shouted. "Wh-what happened to him?"

Maya was too shaken to respond properly. "W-witches… attacked… him… arrow…"

She continued sobbing, and we couldn't calm her down. I looked closer at Phoenix's leg. Blood was trickling from the wound, and the arrow glowed light blue. The light was so bright it felt like I was getting blinded. Before I could mourn his… well, he probably wasn't dead… I heard the sound of someone taking pictures and recording. I turned around and noticed a man with a familiar face. 

"Y-you!" I shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, nothing," the man replied, hiding his camera. "Just wanted to get a few shots and videos to post on social media."

Trucy turned around. "It… It's Mister Reus!" she shouted.

Athena, however, started shouting at the top of her lungs. "YOU LITTLE PUNK! YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?! TRYING TO RECORD PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT?! WE COULD REPORT YOU FOR STALKING US! HOW WOULD THAT LOOK ON YOUR NEWS CHANNEL?!"

"Calm down, lass," Reus chided. "I just needed to collect some information about random stuff happening. I didn't expect to find a murder in the airport. Now, I must do more recording."

Athena grabbed onto Reus's camera and smashed it on the ground. The screen cracked, and the camera—just like a grenade—sent metal flying everywhere. Athena smirked, and Reus backed down.

"Heh. You can't record anything now! You have nothing to record with! You will have no proof that the murder even took place!"

"Hmm… you're right, Miss Cykes, I do not have any proof anymore. But…" He gestured toward the corner of the room. "I do have security footage."

Athena screamed in rage. If I wasn't able to hold her back, she probably would've beaten Reus to death. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Reus pulled out a new camera and took several pictures. Before Athena could strike again, he dashed toward the gate entrance.

Trucy started sobbing as well. She touched her dad's neck to feel his pulse. She started sobbing louder.

"A-Apollo…" Athena stuttered. "You—you don't think he's… he's—"

"No. He has to be alive." I turned toward Maya. "Can you explain what happened? Explain it fluently… so we can understand you."

"O-Okay," she stuttered, wiping her face with her sleeve. "Well, Nick and I were using the restroom. We knew it was going to be a long flight, so we prepared ourselves. As we were walking back to our seats, Nick yelped in pain! He hit the ground, and I could see a blue stick protruding from his leg. He started bleeding heavily, and he stopped moving. I just… sobbed here for… forever!"

"I see," I said. "And nobody else witnessed this happen?"

"There were many witnesses, Apollo. However, once the first shot was fired, they all panicked and evacuated the airport. Some people ran through the gates into the airplanes."

"Do you mind explaining what the suspect looked like?"

Maya paused. "Well, I couldn't see what they looked like! There was a black-haired man standing on the second floor, leaning against the railing. Suddenly, he just vanished!"

I thought about it. "We saw a shadowy figure moving across the ceiling a few minutes ago. We found it suspicious… but we thought it didn't matter."

Suddenly, Trucy gasped in pain. I turned around and noticed her lying on the ground, groaning. There was a black arrow lodged in her back. Athena tried pulling it out, but it wouldn't budge. 

Behind her, a black-haired teenager holding a bow was staring at us angrily. Athena lunged at him, but he quickly dodged and fired an arrow. Athena also collapsed. I ran over and picked her up.

"ATHENA!" I shouted. "No…"

I turned to the teen and glared, my eyes turning watery. "You did this," I growled. You monster!"

I did something really stupid and charged directly at him. (Note-to-self: melee units don't work well against ranged units.) He fired an arrow which grazed my chest and flew into a plant nearby. While he was trying to find another arrow in his quiver, I ran behind him and grabbed his bow. I desperately slipped his bow over his head and pressed it against his neck.

Suddenly, an arrow appeared in his quiver. I noticed it and grabbed it. He leaned backward and I slammed into the wall. I started seeing double, and before I could be aware of my surroundings, he impaled me with one of his glowing arrows. I hit the ground, barely awake. He grabbed my body and threw me near Trucy and Phoenix. He turned to Maya.

"Don't… you… dare…" I started to say, but my voice was so quiet, I could barely hear it. 

Everything around me was fading. I saw the boy grabbing Maya's shoulder.

"You shall be kept alive," he said coldly. "We have somewhere important to go. Unfortunately for you, your friends—they won't make it."

Maya burst into tears. She tried tackling the boy, but the boy fired an arrow at her leg. 

"Guess not," the boy growled. "Now, your souls will be pulled to my world—a terrible world."

I stared at Maya, who was still sobbing. I reached out to grab her hand, and then the world disappeared.


	3. The Goddess' Request

"Polly! Wake up, please! You can't die on us!"

"It's okay, Trucy. He's not dead."

I felt somebody shaking me. Suddenly, I woke up, and found myself lying in a fountain. Beside us, there were many clouds. I started getting goosebumps, and the air around us seemed to get colder.

"What's wrong, Apollo?" Maya asked. "You're shaking."

"I-I-I-I'm sorry," I stuttered, my palms getting sweaty. "It's just that… I'm a little nervous…"

Athena smirked. "I think we already know that, Apollo. I know you have a fear of heights! You seemed very stiff when we were investigating the Penrose Theater backstage."

"A-AAAAGGHHH!!!" I shouted. "Athena, shush! That's supposed to be a secret!"

"You're cute when you blush, Apollo!" Trucy giggled. 

"Wh-what? I'm not—"

I noticed someone slowly approaching behind Athena. The person had dark green hair and held a meter-long staff. She held a shield that looked like it had been from Ancient Greece. She pounded the bottom of her staff on the ground, which vibrated. It felt like an earthquake was occurring. 

"Ah, good," she said. She spoke in a calm and benevolent voice. "I was afraid the arrows might have killed you."

"Wh-where are we?" Maya shouted. "Are we in Greece?"

"No, you are not." She reached into her pocket and unraveled a scroll. "You are inside of my palace. The palace is located in the sky to avoid being attacked or invaded."

"That doesn't make sense," I said. "Wouldn't keeping your palace in the sky make it conspicuous?"

"It wouldn't. See, mortals can detect some things, but they can't detect others. Our palace is protected by a certain barrier that shields it from the sight of humans."

"Wait." Phoenix looked worried. "If mortals can't see us and the palace is shielded, how did we manage to get up here?"

"You aren't fully inside of here." She sighed frustratedly. "Only your souls have been transported."

"Our souls?!" Trucy shouted. "But… I thought…" I put my hand on her shoulder. At least, I tried. My hand traveled right through her body, as if she was a ghost. 

"Oh my God," Athena whispered. She turned to the woman. "What happened to our actual bodies?"

"You are still technically at the airport. We have brought you here to discuss an issue."

"You couldn’t have just talked to us back on Earth? You just had to kill us?"

"First, there were mortals around you. Second, you're not dead. Okay, you're partially dead… but if your souls are still alive, you are still living."

"Okay. So what's this issue you're talking about?" Maya asked.

The lady stared at the running water. "Just a few days ago, one of my most loyal and faithful—er—servants, flew down into the mortal world. He was convicted of murder in Belgium and was sent to England for a trial. I can sense everything going on down there. That idiot professor… he is not suited to defend his clients. But you—"She turned to Phoenix, and then to me''—you have the power, the skills, to save my angel."

She gripped her staff tightly and muttered a spell. Suddenly, our bodies started to glow. Everything around me started fading away. When she had stopped muttering, everything was gone. I woke up in a heap of unconscious people. There was a small boy staring over at us. Above him, a small puppy was sitting on his head.

"GAH!!!" the boy shouted. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe the Holy Mother heard my wish. I thought you were dead, Mister Justice!" The dog started barking. "Even Shah'do is relieved!"

(By the way, my name's Apollo Justice. I'm a defense attorney, just like my mentor—Mister Wright—and I have been working with him for a couple of years now.)

(This is Ahlbi Ur'gaid—the boy I mentioned. He's a monk in training who works at a magnificent temple in Khura'in. He has an adorable dog named Shah'do, whom he can understand.)

He helped me up. Shah'do started barking angrily. He was baring his teeth and glaring in front of him. I turned around to see what was causing him so much excitement. I saw a familiar face.

Behind us, a man was wearing a camouflage uniform—like someone serving in the army. He had a parachute tied to him and had night vision goggles on. Ahlbi lifted Shah'do off his head.

"Shah'do! Calm down, boy!" Ahlbi pleaded, but Shah'do kept barking.

Phoenix turned around and smiled. "Oh… it's you again!"

The man smiled. "Hey there, PW! I assume you're ready for your trial in London, am I right?"

"How did you know—wait, who you?"

The man looked shocked and offended. "Dude, you've forgotten already? It's me, Datz Are'bal, you know… one of Dhurke's closest followers?"

"Yeah, I remember now. About that rebellion… how did it go?"

Datz gave a thumbs-up gesture. "It went great! After a month of battling, the Defiant Dragons changed history! The royalty changed the Khura'inese law system to something that's more reasonable. Remember the Defense Culpability Act? It's gone! We Khura'inists pretend that it never existed in the first place!"

"Yes, that's great, but how did you know about my trial?" Phoenix looked confused and worried.

"You called me, remember? A few days ago, or something."

Phoenix rubbed his chin. "Ah, now I remember. I did call you earlier."

"Why was your… puppy getting angry?" Athena asked. 

Ahlbi picked up Shah'do, who was sniffing the ground curiously. "He must've picked up a strong rebel scent. I've been trying to convince him that the rebels are misunderstood… they are people who are trying to make a change… for the benefit of others."

"Oh, by the way," I said. "About our flight—"

"It's eight-thirty in the evening," Ahlbi said quietly. 

"WHAT?!" shouted Trucy. "How long have we been dead for?!"

I tried to do the calculations in my head. If we had been asleep for that long, then that would mean… we missed our flight.

"Not to worry," a voice said from behind us. "You'll be able to attend the trial on time."

This time, there were two men standing behind us—one man was a gentleman wearing a top hat. The other one was a boy—about Ahlbi's age—wearing a blue shirt and hat. He had a British accent and spoke very politely.

Phoenix turned around and beamed. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Professor Layton and Luke."

I smiled and stuck my hand out. The boy grabbed it and started shaking it politely. He smiled back. We were assembling the ultimate team. We were defending a client we didn't even know, attending a trial that we knew nothing about… but with faith and determination, we could make this work.


	4. The Sorcerer

That Layton dude apparently really enjoys puzzles. And I'm not talking about jigsaw puzzles, I'm talking about random puzzles that make zero sense. He asked us this impossible math question, and his explanation was really vague. He certainly seemed like the eccentric type. We took the escalator down several floors until we reached the terminal. 

"Um… Mister… Professor?" Trucy asked.

"Yes?" Layton responded.

"Er… what are you doing here in America? I thought you were handling a trial in the UK."

"America?" Luke asked. "Professor, do you think she's lost her memory?"

"Now, now, Luke," Layton said. "That's not something a gentleman would say."

"Oh, alright," said Luke. "We're not in America."

"We're not?!" Athena gasped. "But… we were just…"

"You are now in England! London, England! It's a beautiful city, right?"

Ahlbi nodded. "London is a wonderful city, no doubt about that, but… I think Khura'in has more beauty. No offense."

Luke turned around. "Where?"

"Khura'in. It's a small thriving country where people worship and devote their time to praise the Holy Mother and Lady Kee'ra! It's like… like India or Nepal in a way."

"I have been to Khura'in before," Maya stated. "It was a beautiful place. The climate changed as the altitude rose, the temperature always changed… everything was peaceful… and then, things took a dark turn."

"What happened?" asked Layton.

"Well… my mentor, Tahrust Inmee, tried to frame me for murder. His disciple, Puhray Zeh'lot, was murdered by his wife. The spring from which the water of the Inner Sanctum flowed was stained red from Puhray's blood. He killed himself to protect the secret hideout…"

Luke sighed. "That must have been very horrifying. I'm sorry, Miss Fey."

"Okay," Maya said. "We just need to pick up our luggage, and—oh no!"

I was wondering what she was screaming about. Suddenly, it hit me. We had left our suitcases behind back in America. I cursed.

"Wh-what happened, Apollo?" Trucy yelled. 

"We left our luggage behind!"

"Don't worry, sir," Layton explained. "I have a friend nearby who can assist you. She has been trained to use sorcery… but only for the good of other people."

Suddenly, there was a loud popping noise. Everything around me turned white. Like, literally, I couldn't even see anything. When I came to, I noticed a girl with blond hair wearing a brown coat. She was staring strangely at me.

"Uh… hi, I'm Apollo," I said. "Nice to meet you."

There was no response. She just continued staring at me, creepily. I slowly got up to my feet.

"This is Espella," Luke explained. "She's from the peaceful town of Labyrinthia. She's rather shy, but give her enough time, and she will start speaking to you."

Phoenix walked up to her. "Hello, Espella."

Espella suddenly smiled. She blushed. "Hi, Mister Wright! So, who's this other person here?"

"Oh… right, you haven't met them before. Well, the one with orange hair is Athena. She's very good with emotional support and finding incorrect emotions. The person wearing the red clothes is Apollo. He's been training with me for two years, and he's also a defense attorney. The one with the magician hat is my daughter, Trucy. I adopted her many years ago."

Espella nodded. "Okay, then." She turned to me. "Professor Layton needs your help. Our client is kind of having a mental breakdown, and there's nothing we can do to stop him. The judge stopped the trial until ten PM tonight."

"Ten PM?!" Athena roared. "Why is the trial being postponed until that late?"

Espella shrugged. "I… I don't know, honestly. Perhaps they don't want our client to destroy everything. We're waiting for a bus to take us to the courtroom. The traffic started moving quicker after… it happened."

Before we could ask any more questions, a bus pulled up in front of the bus stop. I noticed our suitcases and picked them up. We loaded them into an overhead compartment and sat down near the entrance. The bus driver glared at us when he noticed Shah'do, but Ahlbi hurried and placed him on the seat next to him. Without warning, the bus lurched forward.

"So," I leaned over to Layton. "Mind explaining about the trial?"

"Well, you are a defense attorney, right?" he asked, and I nodded. "This boy has been convicted of murder in Belgium. According to officials, the murder took place in Ghent, at night. There were a few witnesses, but none of them have testified yet. The prosecutor is arrogant, and…" He leaned over to me and lowered his voice to a whisper. "The judge is, frankly, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. So, we have a few problems."

I started typing the information on my phone. Boy convicted of murder… murder occurred at night… witnesses, and eccentric judge. This case was going to be a huge pain to deal with.


	5. Case Overview

It took about half an hour to reach the courthouse. The traffic was heavy, and there were accidents all across the city. Espella was quiet the whole trip, but she did occasionally say something to Phoenix. Maya and Luke talked and laughed together, and Layton was working on a newspaper puzzle. (As I have mentioned before, he is a bit extreme with his puzzles.)

When we arrived at the bus shelter near the courthouse, we were greeted by a mysterious woman. She had a sheathed silver sword and had long blue hair. She seemed very irritated about something. Once we climbed off the bus and grabbed our luggage, she marched up to Luke and Layton.

She drew her sword. "I witnessed the whole thing. I just wanted to warn you about this—I will not be very kind to your client. And I will especially not be kind to you, either."

Layton just nodded and said "okay," and the woman re-entered the courthouse.

"What was that all about?" Phoenix asked. "Who in the world was that?"

Layton sighed. "That was the witness called by the prosecution. Apparently, this witness was at Ghent during the time of the murder. If what the witness says is true… we're as good as dead. Well, our witness, that is."

"You guys are lucky," Datz chimed in. "A while ago, there was a disgusting rule in Khura'in… everyone called it the 'Defense Culpability Act.' If you chose to defend your client and said client was found guilty, you would face the same charges as them. But luckily, Dhurke and the Defiant Dragons destroyed that rule, and the Ga'ran regime has ended."

"Yes, I heard," Phoenix said. "It was all over the news that day. Everyone's opinions were divided. Some thought you guys were heroes, others thought you were villains, who ruined a peaceful civilization."

Datz looked offended. "WH-WHAT?! They think we're villains?! It was that stupid law that ruined Khura'in, not us! They just want to make us look evil to the outside world!"

I started sobbing. After hearing Dhurke's name…

Maya walked up to me. "Apollo? Apollo, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered. "I'm alright. We've got to win this trial…"

We entered the courthouse. The interior looked like your average American courthouse—teapots, bailiffs guarding the courtroom entrances, potted plants everywhere. I started looking around for our client. He was nowhere to be seen. I looked in the corner and saw a boy sobbing.

He had white wings and held a bow in his hands. He had a quiver filled with arrows and had two blades in his pockets. He looked exactly like the boy the green-haired woman had described. Before I could start talking to him, he turned around and started trying to smack me with his bow.

"UWAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!" I shouted. I quickly backed away, but not after getting hit multiple times. The bow was no ordinary bow. It weighed as much as a boulder, it was as hot as molten lava, and I was getting hit with it really fast.

"Y-You!" he shouted, smacking me harder. "You… reported me to the cops, didn't you?! I knew I couldn't trust mortals!"

I could barely speak. "I… I didn't… I didn't… report… you… to… anyone. I… don't know… who you… are…"

"Pit," Layton said. He looked angry. "This gentleman is a defense attorney. He is here to defend you and prove that you aren't guilty. So, please hide your weapons before they convict you of assault next."

The angel-boy panicked and pocketed his items. He turned around and looked at me. "I'm sorry about that. Ever since they accused me of committing that murder, I've been really paranoid about strangers. The news is spreading all across Europe! I'm… I just… I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE!!!"

Espella comforted him. "It'll be alright. Mister Wright is a wonderful attorney! He defended me in court! Now, the lobster-suit guy…" She glanced at me. "I don't know much about him. I met him about an hour ago."

Layton poured himself a cup of tea. "You know, client, Miss Cantabella is correct. Phoenix is an amazing attorney, and he has saved many innocent people from spending their entire life in prison." He sipped his tea softly. "I wish you luck, new attorney."

"Th-Thanks, Professor," I stuttered, and I wandered over to the couch. Espella walked over to me and dropped something heavy on my lap. Anger rushed through me, but I decided to take a look at the object. The "object" turned out to be a brief description of the case. It had the autopsy report, a crime scene photo, the murder weapon, and some other random documents. Before I could thank her, she had left and had started talking with Maya again.

I noticed the witness who had greeted us at the bus stop. She no longer looked angry; she looked like she was suffering from an injury. I stared at her hand. She wasn't gripping her sword anymore. Her hand was closed, but I saw electric sparks flying from it. I yelped, and she turned toward me. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked drowsy. I was too shocked to speak. I started backing up, and eventually hit a desk. 

I groaned and looked back up at the girl. The redness in her eyes had disappeared, but she started looking weak. She stumbled and bumped into one of the bailiffs. The girl panicked and picked up a tray from nearby and hurled it at the bailiff. He dodged it and the tray smashed into the door. The tray shattered, and glass flew everywhere. 

The bailiff picked up a syringe and thrust it into the girl's shoulder. The girl looked at her shoulder, then back at the bailiff. She started mumbling and collapsed. Professor Layton ran over to check on her, but I continued looking through the case file.

The victim's name was Ryoma, and he was from Nohr. He was twenty or older, and he was a very noble warrior. As I searched through the file, a photo fell out and hit the floor. I picked it up and noticed something strange: half the note was scratched out with a marker or a pen. The only thing I could make out was the victim and a smaller girl. She had red hair and held a staff in her hand. She was smiling brightly, while Ryoma was frowning. He had his arms crossed and a sword sheathed in his pocket.

"Defense," one of the bailiffs announced, "the trial is now ready to resume. Proceed to Courtroom Number 6 immediately!"

"That's our cue, Wright," Layton said, and he patted him on the back. He turned to me. "Apollo, please protect our client. And beware of the new witness."

I closed the case file and walked over to the door. Athena put her hand on my shoulder. "Apollo… um… I'm sensing a lot of emotions coming from you. They're contradicting each other! I'm sensing confidence, but I'm also sensing sadness—fear of loss. I'm also sensing frustration, and surprise! Are… are you alright?"

"I… I'm fine, Athena… I think." Suddenly, I remembered what I used to say. "I'm Apollo Justice… and I'm fine!"

Athena smiled. "That's the spirit! Now, go save our client in court!"

"Thanks, Athena," I said, and I smiled. I headed through the door and she followed me.


	6. English Trial - Day One

The courtroom was prodigious; massive galleries, murals painted on the walls, and… many jurors. The judge was talking to the prosecution. In the middle of the court, there was a circle-shaped fountain, which looked strangely familiar.

“It’s all up to you now, Mister Wright,” Layton said, sighing. “The rest of us will be waiting in the gallery. Please follow me.” He motioned for the others to follow him.

"The trial for Pit now resumes…" He noticed us. "Well! This is quite the surprise! I have never seen so many lawyers defend a client at once. But surely this is unfair, Prosecutor—"

"No, no," the prosecutor said. "It's quite alright, Your Honour. Those lawyers don't stand a chance against me, the legendary Payne! My skills as a prosecution will make them regret defending their client!"

"I… I see. Well, please keep your insults to yourself, Prosecutor Payne. The trial is starting again."

“It’s all up to you now, Mister Wright,” Layton said, sighing. “The rest of us will be waiting in the gallery. Please follow me.” He motioned for the others to follow him.

"He sure is arrogant, isn't he?" Athena mumbled to me. I nodded.

Payne noticed us. "Ah! A familiar face!" He stared at Athena, who glared at him. "It's very nice to meet you again, Miss Athena Cykes. How long I have waited for this moment. Now, if you'll excuse me… ahem, the prosecution would like to submit evidence to the court."

"Very well, then. The prosecution shall submit this evidence to the court immediately."

"Take a look at this newspaper article." He tossed it at me. 

"OUCH!" I shouted. "That's not proper courtroom etiquette!" I said, rubbing my head. 

Trucy bent down and picked up the newspaper. It unfurled, revealing an interesting story. Multiple stores had been robbed in the past two days. The police sketched a drawing based on an eyewitness account. There was a stick figure with a sword in their pocket.

"Mister Payne, please give your opening statement again for the newcomers."

"As you wish, Your Honour." He pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper and unfurled it. "The victim's name was Ryoma. He was apparently a tourist visiting from Ireland—"

"HOLD IT!" Athena shouted. "How can you be sure that—?"

The judge glared at Athena. "The defense will refrain from interrupting the prosecution's opening statement."

"As I was saying," Payne started, "the victim was visiting from Ireland. The cause of death was a stab wound to the back. The only people present at the murder scene were my witness and the defendant, Pit. And, to answer the defense's question, there is a passport in the case file. The date of the murder was November 14, 2019. The murder occurred in the town of Ghent."

Someone jostled me. "OW!!! ATHENA! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"Let me see the case file! I need to check the autopsy report! I'm an attorney, too, you know!"

"I know, but I think you'll be better off giving therapy sessions. You are great at handling emotions, as far as I can tell."

The judge glared. "If the defense is done bickering, I would like to continue the trial on Mister Pit. Now then, Prosecutor Payne, please call your witness."

Payne left the room briefly to retrieve his witness. The witness was the girl who we had met at the entrance. She had her sword drawn and was swinging it threateningly. Ahlbi panicked and Shah'do growled and barked angrily. 

"W-WITNESS!" the judge shouted. "Put away that weapon now! Weapons are illegal in the courtroom!"

The girl silently sheathed her sword.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation," Payne ordered.

The girl looked disappointed. 

"I—I'm sorry, Your Honour. I really don't know what's gotten into me. Anyway, my name is Lucina, and I hail from the kingdom of Ylisse. I have visited this world in search of brave mortals who are willing to join our army. I am a warrior, and I would sacrifice myself for my land."

"Wait… you're from… Elise…?" The judge looked confused. He started entering the name in the search bar for Google Maps.

"No, Y-L-I-S-S-E. And searching it up on the internet won't help either. My kingdom exists in a different world from yours—not on Earth. Or at least, not on this Earth."

"There are multiple universes?" I asked.

Lucina nodded. "Yep. You know, it's called the multiverse, or something like that…" She stood up suddenly. "Your Honour, may I testify?" 

"You may testify, Miss Lucina. And set down your sword! You should know that weapons are contraband in the courtroom!"

Lucina took a deep breath, set down her blade, and started explaining what she witnessed.

"The time was about 8:15 PM. I was taking a stroll through the streets of Ghent when I noticed an argument near a bakery. I stared at the scene. One man was the defendant, and the other man was the victim. When the argument turned physical… POW! The defendant shoved his blade into the victim's chest. The victim died due to blood loss."

"What an interesting story," the judge said. "Defense, you may now begin your cross-examination."

I tried my best to remember what the witness said.

_ The time was about 8:15 PM. _

"HOLD IT! How can you be so sure about the time?"

"The clock in the center of the plaza, of course. The time clearly read 8:15 PM. Do I need to show you a picture?"

"N-No, I think I'm fine, witness."

The judge sighed. "Please continue your testimony, witness."

_ I was taking a stroll through the streets of Ghent when I noticed an argument near a bakery. _

"Hold it! I've got two questions for you, witness. First, why were you taking a stroll there?"

"I was just trying to take a walk! What's your problem?! Do you want me asking you about your personal business every five seconds?! What if, out of nowhere, someone asked you, 'Why are you a defense attorney?'! How would you react to that?!"

"Um… I think I'll be the one asking the questions, witness. Now, the second question—are you sure it was a bakery?"

"Yes, I'm positive. They were selling bread sticks and other pastries there. I had been there before."

Payne stared at her. "Alright… I'm not sure that's relevant… but what happened next?"

_ I stared at the scene. _

"Hold it! You witnessed people arguing, correct?"

"Correct. Now, can we please move on—"

I pounded the table. "If you noticed people fighting, why didn't you notify anybody?"

"Because I didn't think a murder would occur. Sure, there was physical contact, but nobody would assume that someone would be killed, right?"

The judge nodded. "That's a valid point, witness. Defense! Stop badgering the witness!"

(I wasn't badgering the witness, I was just trying to draw out information, Your Honour).

_ One man was the defendant, and the other man was the victim. _

"Hold it! Earlier, you stated that it was 8:15 PM. So, how can you claim to have seen the faces of both figures clearly?"

"Urk! Um… it's just their appearances! Yeah, you can tell it was the defendant because of his wings! And you can tell it was the victim because of his messy hair!"

(His… messy hair?)

"Witness, please add that statement to your testimony," I ordered.

_ Those two men were definitely the defendant and the victim! There's no denying it! _

"Hold it! You're absolutely sure about that?"

"Yup! Same hairstyle, same appearance… I just… couldn't move."

"Alright," the judge said, "let's move onto the next statement."

_ When the argument turned physical… POW! _

"Hold it! What happened?"

"Well, the argument was turning physical. They started randomly swinging at each other. Suddenly…"

_ The defendant shoved his blade into the victim's chest. _

"Hold it! Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I have perfect vision, you know! I clearly saw the victim being stabbed to death!"

"Move on, witness," the judge commanded.

The victim died due to blood loss.

Nothing really there. The autopsy report did say that the victim "died from blood loss due to a fatal stab from behind… wait…"

"Ah-ha!" I shouted, causing Athena to jump. "There's our contradiction!"

"Wait, a contradiction? Where?" She started fumbling through the pile of documents on the desk. "I can't find it anywhere."

"Witness, please re-state your testimony." I felt confident. We would finally be able to find the truth.

_ The defendant shoved his blade into the victim's chest. _

"OBJECTION!" I pulled out the autopsy report. "Witness, what you just said was… frankly, interesting."

"I-Interesting?!" shouted Lucina. "What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything, Lucina. However…" I pounded the desk. "Your statement contradicts the autopsy report!"

"How?! I saw the murder happen!"

"According to the autopsy report, the victim 'died due to blood loss caused by a fatal stab from the back.' However, this witness claims she saw the opposite. She claims that she saw the defendant shove the blade into the victim's chest."

"I see!" the judge shouted. "Witness, how do you explain such a contradiction?"

"AGH! I… urp! Uh… it… it is as the defense says. I have suddenly regained my memory. However, I will not testify again, as I will basically just be repeating myself. So, if you'll excuse me—"

"Objection! You can't leave yet, witness! Just the slightest change in a testimony can cause a new contradiction!"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "We mustn't have the witness testify more than she should. She can leave whenever she wants to."

"Objection!" Athena shouted. "If we let this witness leave now, we'll lose our chance of learning the truth! Aren't you an attorney as well, working to protect the law?"

"I agree with the defense," the judge finally said. "The witness will testify to the court again. And this time, no more contradictions, alright, witness?"

"Um… I'll only say the statement that was inaccurate earlier. Well, the defendant obviously shoved the blade into the victim's back…! I think…"

"Hmmm… very interesting," the judge said. "Defense, please cross-examine the witness."

I had the witness restate her second statement: I was taking a stroll through the streets of Ghent when I noticed an argument near a bakery. I stared at the crime scene photo. There was a dead body on the floor (obviously), a bloody blade lying next to him, and a bakery sign. 

"Damn it," I muttered. "It’s no use. I can't find any contradictions in this witness's testimony."

"Don't worry, Apollo," Athena assured me. "We just need to take a closer look at the crime scene photo. Here, let me see it… Okay, I see the problem. Everything in the picture is blurry… well, except for the body and murder weapon."

"Those won't help us. None of Lucina's statements relate to either of those."

"See?" Lucina smirked. "My testimony is bulletproof!"

(It definitely is, you only had one major contradiction.)

"It seems the defense has no objections," the judge declared. "Any objections, Mister Payne?"

"No, Your Honour. However, I will propose that we delay tonight's trial until tomorrow night at, say, 7:30?"

"Very well. This trial shall be postponed until tomorrow night. That is all. This court is adjourned."


	7. The Channeling

As we exited the courtroom, I kept talking to myself. I knew there was something interesting about that evidence, but I just couldn't tell what. I thought of photoshopping the evidence, but that would mean I tampered with it, so I forgot about it. I really wished my friend, Ema Skye, was here. She was a forensic investigator, and greatly helped in some of Mister Wright's cases.

"Are you alright, Polly?" Trucy asked, gently rubbing my face. "You don't seem as… energetic today."

"Yeah, Apollo!" Athena blurted. "You should be practicing your Chords of Steel right now! That'll give you enough confidence to win the trial!"

"Hopefully," I replied gloomily, staring at the ground.

"Cheer up, Apollo!" Espella shouted, and I jumped. I had forgotten she was with us.

"Wait," Maya said. "Where are we supposed to stay tonight? We don't even have anywhere to store our luggage."

Espella smiled slyly and pulled a book the size of a dictionary out of her handbag. She opened it and flipped through the pages until she reached a painted image of what appeared to be a village.

"I invite all of you to Labyrinthia, friends," she said.

"Labyrinthia? Where is that?" Ahlbi asked.

"It's in a peculiar location. I'm pretty sure it was located in the middle of the woods somewhere. Probably near New York or Boston in your world."

"Um…" Phoenix started sweating nervously. "No offense, Espella, but the last time we went to Labyrinthia, let's just say things went… a bit wrong."

"What happened?" Datz asked. "Were there crazy people… or rebels, perhaps?"

"No, no," Layton explained. "There were witches. Tons of them."

"It was just like those characters in that story… Harry Potter…! Except they weren't evil."

"Yeah!" Maya chimed in. "The professor and I were hanging out in some alchemist's lab, and then this random witch entered the building and turned him into gold and then jumped inside a painting!"

"No way!" I shouted. "Did that actually happen?"

"Witches?" Datz started laughing. "You can't fool me! Witches don't exist! The only world they exist in is in those silly fairy tales!"

"I wouldn't say that, Mister Rebel," Espella muttered. "We've received reports of these witches leaving Labyrinthia and inhabiting your world instead. According to this newspaper…" She pulled out a crumpled newspaper and unfolded it, "these witches have chosen densely populated cities as their main targets."

"So, where are all these witches?" I asked. "If they're such a big deal, why haven't they been all over the news?"

"Apollo, the newscasters want to share interesting stories." Phoenix started thinking about what to say next. "Well, what I mean is, they don't want their viewers to think they've gone senile."

Espella continued reading the paper. "Just last week, the witches moved from Labyrinthia into France, Spain, and Ireland. The gateway to my home is through this book, but I fear that something terrible has occurred there. I can't return home. I haven't been able to for months now. The witches have been wreaking havoc in your world."

"So, how will we be able to win tomorrow's trial?" Ahlbi asked. Shah'do wagged his tail excitedly.

"First, we have Maya's spirit channeling ability. Next, we have Apollo's… er… bracelet, and then we have this magatama." He removed his magatama pendant and presented it to everyone. "This magatama is great for finding locks in people's hearts."

"Meaning…?" Espella looked either confused or worried.

"Whenever someone tells a lie, the magatama squeezes around me. I start seeing these locks… literal locks… they're called Psyche-Locks, and they appear whenever someone is hiding something. It works a bit like Apollo's bracelet… it reacts to certain things."

"Alright." Espella turned to me. "Apollo, may I please try on your bracelet?"

"Um… sure," I said. I handed her the bracelet. "Now, what do you want to do with it?"

"I'm not sure how it works… it's not reacting like Mister Wright said it would…"

"Um… that's because nobody's hiding anything, Espella… Here. Why don't you ask me something embarrassing?"

"Okay, um… let me think… uh… Who do you like?"

I fidgeted. I felt my arms shake uncontrollably. My legs felt like they were made of gelatin. I started sweating profusely, and Espella just watched, confused. Suddenly, she yelped in pain and started rubbing her arm. She started clawing at the bracelet. She was wincing and crying.

"E—Espella!" I shouted. "Wh-What happened?"

She tossed the bracelet at me. "Y-your bracelet! That was so painful! How can you even survive that?!"

"Oh, after a while, you get used to it," I said, as I slid the bracelet back on. "Most times it's painful for me because it happens unexpectedly. But can you please explain what you felt?"

"It was terrible!" she sobbed. "As soon as you started shaking and sweating, the bracelet tightened around my arm!"

"It's supposed to do that. Just like Mister Wright's magatama, it reacts when someone is hiding something—it squeezes the person who is wearing it."

"That sounds painful… but you still haven't answered the question. Who do you like?"

I coughed. "Um… let's change the subject. We should be focusing on how to win tomorrow's trial. Now, we just need to find a place where we can talk peacefully…"

"Well, you could come over to my place," Layton insisted. "It's like an observatory-library thing, you know?"

"Yes!" Ahlbi shouted. Shah'do barked excitedly. "Thank you, Mister… er… Professor, sir!"

We started walking down the watery path to the professor's house. Just as we were about to enter, something hit me in the face. I winced and peeled the object off my skin. The object was a small sheet of red paper filled with words that had been cut and pasted. I quickly read the paper.

_We witnessed the trial. You managed to put up a good fight against that prosecutor. Your skills are exactly what we are looking for. You have probably never heard of us before—we are not from your country. We are going to start a vital mission that will rescue our country. Meet us at Tokyo as soon as possible. We'll be waiting._

Trucy was also trying to read the paper, but I quickly folded it and placed it in my pocket. She has a habit of trying to read other people's things.

"What was that, Polly?" Trucy beamed. "It looked very important. It's red, like an emergency letter!"

"Your nickname is Polly?" Maya smiled slyly. "That's so adorable, Apollo!"

I blushed. "I really don't know. For some reason, she enjoys calling me that. She's been calling me that ever since we were children."

"Trucy's right, Apollo," Phoenix said. "That note does seem important. Perhaps you could show it to us when we get to the professor's study?"

"How come you blush whenever I call you that?" Trucy nuzzled me. "I think it's a cute nickname!"

"It's embarrassing, Trucy. I… I've told you not to call me that in public before. Keep it a secret between me and you, okay?"

Layton reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a keychain filled with… well, keys. He unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a massive room. The room was filled with bookshelves—there were thousands of books! (I'm not exaggerating, I'm pretty sure there actually were thousands of books.) There was a massive window in the back of the room. Through it, you could see the London Bridge and the rest of the city… it was beautiful!

Layton sat down on a chair near a coffee table in the center of the room. On the coffee table were some plates, napkins, and teacups. There was also a teapot in the middle of everything. Maya poured herself a cup of tea—chamomile tea—and took a small sip. Suddenly, she frowned and started shivering.

"What's wrong, Maya?" asked Luke. "You're shivering."

"I'm sorry… The tea was a little… chilly, if you know what I mean…"

Before anyone could say anything else, Espella pulled out a book. This time, the title was different. It was called the Grand Grimoire, and it was filled with foreign writing. Every few pages, there was a painting of a person reciting an incantation and some weird effect happening.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Suddenly, she muttered, "Ignaize," and the area around the teapot started to glow. I noticed a small cloud of steam emerging from the opening of the pot.

"Thanks, Espella," Layton said. He poured himself a cup of tea. "Now, about that trial…"

"I know someone who can help! Princess Rayfa Padma Khura'in is travelling around the world! She said she was travelling through the Mediterranean and most of Europe and that she would also go to Asia and Australia and many other different nations as well and—"

"Slow down, Ahlbi," Athena said, smiling. "We have plenty of time before tomorrow night's trial, and… Wait, did you say Princess Rayfa is coming to Europe?"

"Yeah, she was travelling from Canada to Ireland. And then from Ireland to England."

"Wait, how can she help us, though?" I wondered aloud as I skimmed through the case file again. "I mean, it's not like… WAIT A MINUTE!"

"She can perform the Divination Séance using the little pool of water in the middle of the courtroom! Hopefully, the Holy Mother doesn't mind us using her powers in a foreign country…"

When I wasn't looking, another sharp piece of paper hit me. I assumed it had come from the vent on the ceiling, so I excused myself and walked outside onto the balcony. I decided to read the paper.

_Perhaps that was not the right time to send you the message. Meet us inside the London Bridge after your trial tomorrow night is complete. We'll send an undercover person from our group. Her name is Haru Okumura. She'll briefly be able to explain how things work here with the Phantom Thieves. Discard the previous note—it is worthless now. We'll see you in a bit._

_Joker_

I carefully folded the note, but not before looking at the signature written on the bottom. Perhaps that was a codename for one of the agents. It sounded like he had named himself off of a movie character.

"Apollo!" I turned around and saw Maya waving at me. "Come inside! I have the perfect solution to our little… dilemma."

I ran back up the stairs and charged through the door. Everyone had created a circle around Maya, who was making some strange hand signals. She put her hands together and silently prayed. Suddenly, the magatama on her necklace started to glow. The light continued to grow until it had engulfed Maya completely. When the light finally died down, I could see a person lying on the floor, but it wasn't Maya.

"Wh-What happened?!" Trucy shouted. "D-Did she teleport?!"

I laughed nervously. "No, Trucy, that probably didn't happen. She's not a magician, you know."

While I was talking, I heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed, and the next second, the blade was right next to my head.

"Where am I?!" the man demanded. "What have you done to Sakura?"

"Okay, two things," I said nervously. "First, you're in London, England. Second, I don't even know who Sakura is!"

"Pah!" He pressed the sword against my neck. "You can't fool me, peasant! How dare you lie to a member of the royalty of Hoshido?!"

"I… I wasn't lying, I swear!" I backed up into the window. "Somebody, help!"

Athena reached into Phoenix's pocket and pulled out a red magatama. Without hesitating, she tossed it at the man, who sliced it in half. The magatama hit the carpet, turning brown instantly.

"Crap…" Athena muttered, and the man knocked her backwards with the flat of his blade. She flew into the table and smashed it.

I snatched the Grand Grimoire out of Espella's hands. She glared, but didn't do anything to get it back.

"Espella!" I shouted.

"What?"

"Pass me the wand. I think I might be able to use a spell to take him out!"

Without saying another word, she threw the wand at me, and I caught it. Well, I didn't really catch it—it kind of just almost stabbed me. I frantically flipped through the book, trying to find an effective spell.

"Ah! I got it!" I slammed the book shut, which got the man's attention. I cleared my throat, and tried to remember what the figure in the drawing was doing.

"Hurry up, Apollo!" Phoenix shouted, trying to rescue Athena.

"Okay…" I pointed the wand at him just as he readied his sword. "Fainfol!"

Suddenly, the man's eyes started closing. He walked around strangely as if he were drunk. He weakly pointed his sword at me and staggered over towards me slowly. I pulled the blade out of his hands and he hit the floor, unconscious.

"Quick, Polly!" Trucy ordered. She handed me a rope. "Tie him up! We will question him when he wakes up!"

"Alright," I said, and I started wrapping his body with it.

A few minutes later, he had regained his consciousness. Before he could speak again, Athena slapped him, leaving a red mark on his cheek.

"You asshole!" She continued to slap him, and Trucy and I had to drag her away before she caused any more damage.

"Athena!" I screamed. "We're supposed to be questioning him, not assaulting him!"

"I thought this was like a good cop/bad cop thing," she started nervously. "Plus, I just really wanted to get revenge on him for smacking me with his weapon."

I turned to the man. "Alright, we just want to ask you a few questions. The first question is—"

"STATE YOUR NAME AND OCCUPATION RIGHT NOW!" Athena bellowed.

"You're not a prosecutor, Athena…" Trucy sighed.

"Urk! Alright, fine! My name is Ryoma, and I am from the kingdom of Hoshido."

"Hoshido… is that a city in Japan?" I consulted Google Maps, which gave me no results.

"You wouldn't be able to find Hoshido using that contraption. It's on a different Earth."

"You know, the witness in the trial said the exact same thing, except it was about Ylisse. Do you know anything about that place?"

"No, unfortunately." He sighed. "However, I have heard about the kingdom from my friend Chrom."

Someone kicked the door open. They were wearing a mask, so we couldn't see their face. They had their sword tucked away in their pocket, but they looked strangely familiar…

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Don't pretend you don't know who I am." She stared at me coldly. At least, it looked like that. I couldn't tell what her face looked like.

"Are you the person sending me these messages?" I asked as I pulled the folded paper from out of my pocket. "You're telling me to meet you in random locations?"

"Give me that!" She snatched it out of my hand and read it carefully. She shoved it back into my hand and sighed. "Anyway…" She pulled out her sword and pointed it threateningly at Ryoma. "What were you saying about my father?!"

"N-Nothing!" He started sweating nervously. "N-Nothing at all, actually!"

"W-Wait… Aren't you the victim?!" She lowered her sword. "I must be hallucinating, I swear!"

"He is the victim," Pit finally said, after being silent for about half an hour. "He has been summoned here by a spirit medium."

"A spirit medium?" She looked intrigued. "That sounds interesting. Please, go on."

"Well," started Pit, "by knowing the victim's name and face, a spirit medium can channel a deceased person's soul. A spirit medium is, well… I'm not sure how to describe it."

"So, someone is channeling Ryoma's spirit right now?"

"That is correct," Ahlbi said. "Miss Fey has been training in Khura'in for over two years, and will soon be the master of Kurain Village back in America!"

"Okay, last question, and we will have to force your spirit out of Maya's body, alright?"

"Go ahead." He paused. "Ask anything you want. But, promise me that tomorrow, this… Fey person will be able to channel my spirit during the trial?"

"I can promise that. Now, what do you know about the murder weapon?"

He pointed towards Pit's weapon. "That's the murder weapon, right there. One of the blades was covered in the victim's—er, rather my blood—and the hilt of the blade had the fingerprints of the defendant on it."

"IT'S MY POSSESSION!" Pit randomly shouted. "IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE MY FINGERPRINTS ON IT! IT BELONGS TO ME!"

"However, before my passing, I noticed this… other object someone dropped on the ground that looked like it was covered in blood. That's the last thing I can remember before I died."

I turned to the masked girl. "You didn't happen to see anything strange, did you?"

"Wait!" Luke shouted. "You didn't answer the first question! Mister Justice asked who you were!"

"I'm not revealing anything to you strangers! You'd probably falsely accuse me just to get your client declared Not Guilty! I know how you defense and prosecuting attorneys function! You would do anything to get your client off the hook, including forging evidence!"

"I can reveal your identity," I growled. Suddenly, I smirked. "All the evidence I need is sitting right in front of me."

"And that's another thing! The way you lawyers bluff and lie! It's atrocious! Don't make me report you for false accusations—!"

"Objection!" I shouted. I pretended to slam the desk in the courtroom. "This evidence proves who this figure really is!" I raised my finger and pointed to the pocketed sword. "That sword… I thought I recognized it when you entered just now! At first, it was just a hunch! Now, I realize that it is the exact same sword as the one the witness brought to the courtroom earlier this evening. I know who you are… Lucina."

She shook her head and smiled slightly. "You are brighter than you look, Apollo Justice. I guess there's no reason to hide my identity anymore." She grabbed her mask and pulled it off, causing her hair to fall. Lucina stared sadly. "I wish you luck, new attorney." She dashed outside and disappeared.

Layton turned to Ryoma. "Maya… I'm sorry, I meant… Ryoma. We need to remove your spirit from Maya's body now."

"Is it going to feel uncomfortable?" Ryoma looked nervous.

"I can't answer that," Layton responded. "I haven't had my spirit channeled before, because I never died."

"Didn't you technically die in Labyrinthia?" Espella asked. "With the whole… golden statue thing?"

"That doesn't count," Layton said quickly, and Espella smiled slyly at him. For some reason, she looked a lot like Maya.

Phoenix walked over to Ryoma and handed him the Magatama of Parting. "Ryoma, I need you to cup your hands around this Magatama and press it against your chest, like this." He cupped his hands and pressed them on his chest.

Ryoma copied his movements, and his body started to glow. Before he could say anything else, he had disappeared, leaving only Maya, who was lying in a ball on the floor. She jerked awake.

"N-Nick!" she shouted. "D-Did you get the information you needed?!"

"Yeah, I guess you could put it that way," he said sheepishly, grinning nervously.

"It actually went pretty well, to be honest," I lied.

"Apollo, I can tell you're lying," Maya said, glaring. "My magatama works just like Nick's one."

"I'm detecting a lot of discord from your heart." Athena activated Widget, her personal AI assistant. "That did not go well at all. He literally almost destroyed this entire place."

"What happened, Nick?" Maya shouted. "What did that jerk do?!"

"Well, he was calm at first. Then, he got really pissed for no reason, and started destroying everything. He attacked Athena and Apollo, and nearly destroyed the entire building. Thanks to Espella's magical book, we were able to find a spell to weaken the victim."

"Alright, so what information did you get out of the victim?" Maya looked excited.

"Well, we found out about the murder weapon," I said.

Maya looked… well, she was either confused or thought I was really stupid. Or both. "I think we already know about the murder weapon, Apollo…"

"Then the witness from the trial earlier attacked, and we had a nice conversation and she bolted out the door." I remembered all the details—the mask, the sword, her armor and blue hair…

"Perhaps that's why we went berserk…"

Trucy changed the subject. "Um… shouldn't we be talking about the crime scene photo? The picture seems really blurry and dark. The only conclusion a person can reach by looking at this evidence is that the culprit is the defendant, Pit."

"Let's just hope that Princess Rayfa arrives by tomorrow night," Ahlbi said despondently. Shah'do nuzzled him sympathetically.

"Yeah, I hope so." I stared out the window and admired the wonderful view of the city. There was nothing we could do about the case, currently. All we could do was sit back and hope for the best.


	8. Spirits

The time was about midnight. Everyone had fallen asleep, and I was still up, stressing about the trial. What was the true meaning behind the photo? How would we be able to get the truth from the victim? Who was this witness at the trial earlier?

After ten minutes of worrying, I was finally able to fall asleep. I started dreaming about… well, I don't actually know. In the first part, there was a woman wearing a black shirt and black pants, with an attorney's badge and brown hair. I tried to speak up, but I couldn't get the words out. She turned around and smiled brightly.

"Hello there," she said, in a friendly tone. "Who might you be?"

"Uh… Apollo Justice, ma'am. And you are…?"

"Right, I was getting to that. I am Mia Fey, the sibling of Maya. I'm pretty sure you two have met in the past somewhere."

"I haven't met you before," I said. "Um… are you… er…"

"I am deceased, Apollo." Mia sighed. "About twelve years ago, I was killed by the CEO of a growing company. Thanks to Maya's spirit channeling, Phoenix was able to win that trial!"

"Wow!" I was shocked. "That's really cool!"

"Why are you so amazed? I'm sure you've seen people do it before."

"It's just that… half an hour ago, the spirit Maya summoned… literally tried killing us all."

Mia looked stunned. "Oh! Are you okay?"

"I think so…" Suddenly, I felt pain in my neck. I yelped and hit the ground. "OW! OWOWOW!"

Mia grabbed my shoulder. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

I moved my hand, revealing a wound from Ryoma's sword. When I looked at my hand, I realized it was covered in blood.

"Here, Apollo." She pulled out a bandage and covered the cut. "Hopefully, you will feel better."

"Thanks, I guess I'll be going now."

She cleared her throat. "Not yet. I have one more thing I want to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked nervously.

"I have some evidence I want to present to you. However, it will have to wait until tomorrow night after the trial."

"Wait, what?! Why can't you present it now?!"

"It's a surprise. Besides, you won't be needing it anytime soon."

The image changed. I was standing in the middle of what appeared to be a museum. Apparently, I was in a space exhibit. There were many images of space shuttles and rockets, pictures of the solar system and other facts, and…

I noticed someone sitting across the room from me. They had black hair, were wearing a black visor, and had a navy blue jacket on. In their hands was a newspaper. He was reading it very intently, occasionally glancing around the building. When he lowered the newspaper, I realized who it was.

No way, I thought. That couldn't possibly be…

"Clay?" I said weakly. I slowly approached him. "Clay?" I said again. He didn't respond.

I took a deep breath, hoping I would be loud enough. "Chords of Steel," I whispered. "CLAY!" I bellowed.

He was so startled he jumped and dropped the paper. He was mumbling something.

I ran over to him and nearly tackled him in a hug. He smiled, but his smile quickly turned into a frown.

"Who are you?" he asked suddenly.

"Wh-What? Clay, it's me, your friend."

"I… I don't remember that."

I started sobbing. "Cl-Clay… y-you really… you really d-don't…"

He laughed. "I'm just pulling your leg!" He hugged me. "It's good to see you again… Apollo."

I slapped him, and I was still sobbing. "Promise me you will never joke about that again. But I'm happy to see you, too, old friend." I hugged him back.

"So, you're still an attorney?" He pointed at my attorney's badge.

I nodded. "Yep! I'm going to be the best attorney in the Wright Anything Agency someday!"

"Don't be too confident, Apollo. There are nasty prosecutors appearing worldwide, especially here in Europe. Now, about the trial you're working on—"

"What about it?" I asked, intrigued.

"I found some evidence."

"WHAT?!" I shouted. "Where is this evidence?!"

"I'm sure you already know." He stared off into space.

"How do you know where this evidence is located?! I mean, aren't you technically de—"

"Deceased? Yeah, that sounds right. However, I am not like most spirits. I am conscious of the world around me… as if… as if I were a living human being. I can see everything… well, mainly only what I want to see."

"Anyway, about this evidence you mentioned…"

"You will meet a brave and loyal knight during your journey. You have probably already met said knight in the past somewhere. Good luck, Apollo. I'll see you later."

Suddenly, I jumped up. I accidentally kicked Athena.

"OW!" she yelled. "APOLLO, YOU JERK! FIRST THE KNIGHT, AND NOW YOU?!"

(Was Clay talking about the victim?)

"Sorry, Athena. I just had an… exciting dream, that's all."

"Little punk!" a high-pitched voice shouted. (That was Widget, aka the necklace Athena wears. Widget sometimes randomly blurts out what Athena's thinking, which can cause a problem. Or two. Or… well, you get the point.)

I checked the time on my cell phone. It was 5:30 in the morning, and everyone was still asleep. I turned on flashlight mode and quietly shone the light on the red card. I noticed an arrow pointing to the side of the paper, reading _More information on back._ I flipped the card over.

_The witches have spread their influence throughout the Earth. We thought they would be contained in Europe. We were wrong. After colonizing Russia, they have moved their forces into China, Korea, and now, Japan, our homeland. Our group is traveling through different nations to warn people about the invasions. The United Nations plans to tackle these intruders._

I noticed Espella was awake. I slowly crept over to her, trying not to step on anyone along the way.

"Psst! Espella!"

She mumbled groggily. "Wh-What is it, Apollo?"

"I have some evidence. Evidence that proves… well… the witches are not only contained in Europe."

She quickly became surprised. "O-Oh! Please, present the evidence to me! And it better not be a forgery."

"Alright," I said as I pulled out the mysterious note. "TAKE THAT!"

"Wh-What is this? A… note?" She stared at it, with a confused expression on her face. "They're… recruiting people?"

"What? No, no, flip it over. Read the backside."

"The back? Wait, let me see…" She flipped the card over. "A… AAAAH! THESE WITCHES! THEY'RE SPREADING EVERYWHERE!"

"What are you shouting about, Espella?" Phoenix muttered. "We're still trying to sleep. It's not even six yet…"

I quickly took the card back, and leaned over to Espella. "This is between us, okay? Don't disclose the information to anyone, got it?"

She nodded. "I—I understand."

"Apollo, what are you whispering about?" Athena asked.

Before anyone could ask any more questions, I skipped over to the door and was about to escape. Once I got downstairs, I made a silent prayer, hoping it would reach the sender. It was something along the lines of, _Hi. I'm gonna meet you now. So, yeah, that's it._

I slowly walked toward the London bridge, hoping to meet whoever delivered the message. When I got there, I noticed a black cat, relaxing and bathing itself. Beside him, a man wearing a red mask and a black suit stood slumped against the wall.

"Um… hi, I was wondering if—AAAGGHHH!" I stopped when the cat hissed at me.

"Morgana, be quiet." He turned to me. "What are you doing here?"

"Um… sorry, I don't mean to cause any trouble. I just wanted you to look at the note," I said, handing it to him. "Do you know anything about this?"

His eyes widened. He quickly pocketed the note and asked me to take out my cell phone. I don't usually trust strangers, but he seemed a lot younger than I did. Fifteen, maybe sixteen. I pulled out my phone and he smiled, sort of. When I pulled my phone back, I realized something had appeared on the screen.

"What… is this app?" I asked. "I don't remember it being there…"

"You'll find out… after the trial."

He jumped up to the top of the bridge with the black cat in pursuit. I assumed the cat was his pet. After he disappeared, I decided to head back to Layton's study.

Trucy was in tears. "P-Polly!" She ran over to me and nearly knocked me down in a hug. My face must've been very red, because Maya kept laughing.

Trucy continued sobbing and started asking a bunch of questions. "Polly! Wh-Where were you?! Why did you go out there? I was so s-scared!"

"Awww," Maya said, smiling brightly. "I think Trucy has… feelings for Apollo!"

"Wh-What?!" Trucy's face turned redder than mine. "P-P-Polly, tell them I'm not—"

Ahlbi spoke excitedly. "Mister Justice! You have a girlfriend?!"

"N—Nnnggghhh… Ahlbi, stop, please…"

Athena stared at me. "I'm detecting sadness from you, Apollo. But I'm also detecting anger and happiness, with a bit of surprise."

Trucy grabbed my arm and rushed me into a dusty closet. I inhaled some dust and choked, but Trucy quickly whispered into my ear.

"Polly! Why does everyone think we're… dating?!"

"I don't know. I really don't. However, I'm starting to think that it's that nickname you give me."

"Wait, now that we're talking privately, tell me about that note you keep hiding."

I emptied my pockets. "Sorry, I don't have the note anymore. Somebody confiscated it."

Trucy punched me. "Yeah, right, Apollo! You're just hiding something from me! I know it!"

Layton knocked on the door. "We were going to go to a coffee shop and do some explaining about the case. We're going to leave in three minutes. Hurry up, please."

We walked a few blocks to a nearby café to come up with a strategy. Along the way, I noticed something bobbing in the water. I picked it up—I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was the mask that the person I had met was wearing—red and white. I turned it around and noticed it was covered in moss. In disgust, I dropped it.

"I guess I'll just take this as evidence—OUCH!" Someone had slapped me from behind.

"That's disgusting, Apollo. The Holy Mother would be very displeased with you, staining all the evidence with that… disgusting thing."

I turned around and smiled. The person behind me was a girl with black hair, a facial tattoo, and a pinkish robe. Her anger quickly turned to happiness.

"Hi, Princess Rayfa!" I said. "What brings you here?"

"Gathering information from different countries. Kinda like a diplomat. What brings you here?"

"Um… working on a trial, here in London. I don't really have a good understanding of the case. After all, I was sort of dragged into this whole mess."

"I see… You seem troubled. In need of assistance." Rayfa stared sympathetically. "I will gladly help you."

"By the way, how are things going in Khura'in? You know, after the whole revolution and stuff?"

Rayfa smiled. "Things have been going great! The legal system, thanks to your help, has been restored to its original state! But… we need more defense lawyers. I… er… kind of have trouble playing both of those roles."

"Princess Rayfa. We need your help. There's a pool of water in the middle of the courtroom. The Holy Mother would let you use her power in a foreign nation, right?"

"I don't think—"

"You are a follower of her religion, are you not? Surely she wouldn't mind."

I pulled out the crime scene photo and frowned. The image was still dark and blurry, with only a bloody body and a bloody sword lying in a puddle of murky water. Someone punched my head from behind and took the photo.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Not nice! Give that back!"

"Oh, Apollo…" The person was obviously a girl. She giggled. "You could really use some help with this photo, right? Just leave it to me… the forensic investigator!"

(This is Ema Skye. She is a worker in the police department and her occupation is a forensic investigator. Ever since she became fifteen, she had a dream of becoming an investigator. Heck, she carried that luminol wherever she went during the case when her sister was accused of murder.)

"U-Uh, yeah, I could use some help." I couldn't help stuttering. Seeing her out of nowhere like this was really shocking. "I was wondering if you could create a new copy of the photo and remove all the darkness from it. This photo is the key to saving our client. So, please, promise you will help us." I stuck my hand out.

She grabbed it firmly. "It's a promise. Now, what will you do for me? I actually have a favor to ask of you. I am testing these new, mysterious sprays, yet I do not have any test subjects to use them on. I guess you'll be test subject number one!"

I shuddered, thinking about it. "Thanks, Ema, but no thanks. I'm trying to save someone else's life here. You're over here testing unknown chemicals on me, which could cause… well, huge problems."

"Ugh, fine. You've got a point there." She tucked the photo safely in her coat pocket. "You can count on me, Apollo!"

"Wait, did you already investigate the crime scene?" I called.

She dashed back. "Er… no, actually. However, we found blood on the defendant's weapon. Unfortunately, that's all we found."

(Unfortunately?! MY CLIENT'S LIFE IS AT STAKE HERE!)

"Also, the other problem is that this bloody sword is decisive proof that the only person that could have committed this atrocity was none other than the defendant, Pit, himself!"

"Oh my god," I whispered. "This is bad. This is really bad."


	9. The Battle Plan

I'll cut to the chase. Fifteen more minutes of walking, and we reached our destination. Phoenix and Maya pooled their resources and bought everyone coffee and donuts (or doughnuts). Everyone except Luke. We bought him a Coke instead. Oh, and when I said they "pooled their resources," it was more like Phoenix paying for everything and Maya kind of just doing nothing. Except making him pay.

"Alright!" Maya shouted. "Has anyone got any plans for the trial tonight?"

I was wondering if I should tell them about the dream. Mia's message, Clay's unique ability, and the secret message I had received from the stranger. I decided to be as vague as possible. Of course, Maya figured out the part about Mia immediately.

"You were able to communicate with Mia as well?!" She looked stunned. "Apollo, I didn't know you were a… a… spirit medium, too!"

I rubbed my head nervously. "Er… no, it wasn't spirit channeling. It was just a dream, that's all."

Maya shook her head. "People don't just go around dreaming stuff like that. Especially not defense lawyers."

"What, you got a problem with them?" I glared.

"What I mean is, being able to communicate with a deceased one requires years of rigorous work. The other thing is that you need to know the person's name and face. How you were able to talk to Mia… that remains a mystery. So…! What else did she tell you?"

"She told me about some 'evidence' she wanted to present to me. However, she wouldn't say what it was. She wanted to give it to me when the trial tonight was over."

"Okay," Phoenix said. "What else?"

"Why do I feel like I'm being cross-examined?" I growled, and everyone laughed. "Well, I met my friend from school… C—C—"

"Apollo, are you alright?" Trucy asked, touching my shoulder.

I cleared my throat. "C—Clay Terran."

Phoenix's eyes widened. "Clay Terran?! As in the one killed in the space center?!"

"Yes. I recognized his clothing and his hairstyle and his face. He was on the opposite side of the exhibit.

"And what did he say? Anything important?" Phoenix stared at me with a concerned look on his face.

"Well… he said something shocking. According to Clay, he was aware of everything around him, even after his death."

"Wh-What?!" Maya literally looked like she was about to explode. Her face was red and her fists were clenched. "That… That can't be possible! Spirits aren't capable of doing such things!"

"Maybe Clay's unique, then. He's not like most spirits. He also told me something else important. He said an important piece of evidence was lying right in front of us… hidden in plain sight… but I do not know what he is talking about. He also said something about a knight."

"I'm not sure," Espella said, reading the case file. "The only knights I'm familiar with are the Labyrinthian guards."

"Of course." I thought about it. "That's it! Thanks, Espella!"

"Polly?" Trucy said, shocked. "What is it?"

"We need to look for someone who is good inside, would stand up for others, and is dressed accordingly."

Rayfa took a sip of her coffee. "Hmmm… I have never heard of such people before."

Ahlbi looked like he just got his heart broken. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"In Khura'in, there are many good people. However, we do not have people who would stand up for others."

"The Defiant Dragons did that," Datz said. "We reshaped Khura'in's legal system. You people should be thanking us.

"True," Rayfa said, "but, honestly, the Defiant Dragons didn't stand up for others. They would storm courtrooms, bazaars, even the Ga'ran Palace just to overthrow the regime. They recruited civilians to join their cause, which only resulted in more casualties, arrests, and violence. But, I have realized the errors of our previous legal system. The DC Act was the worst thing created in the modern world." She stuck her hand out and opened it. "A dragon never yields." She closed her hand into a fist and placed her fist over her chest. "That was Dhurke's motto. It will always remain in the hearts of the Khura'inese for eternity."

I started crying tears of joy. And tears in general. "Yep. He'll always remain in everyone's hearts. Especially mine and Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's hearts."

"Apollo!" Athena shouted. "What's happening to your emotions? You're sad and happy. And those two feelings are going haywire! They're screwing up my device!"

"Back to the subject!" Phoenix said. "What is this evidence Clay was telling you about?"

"He told me… about… the knight, and that the evidence was lying in plain sight. Sorry, I didn't mean to rhyme there."

"Wait… a knight!" Espella looked shocked. "Sounds just like the witness testifying yesterday! But, if that were the case, what would this evidence be?"

We continued talking like this for another fifteen minutes before the manager came and kicked us out. I continued making silent pleas to Mia and Clay, hoping to gain whatever information I could.


	10. English Trial - Day Two, Part One

Later that day, we took a bus to the courthouse. We saw the witness from yesterday sitting down, staring sadly at her blade. We had Maya perform her channeling rite and watched as she transformed into the victim.

The bailiff spoke. "Defense and prosecution, the second day of the trial is starting—OUCH!"

"A-Ah!" I heard Ema's voice. "S-Sorry, Mister Bailiff! Apollo, I edited this picture for you. Hope it helps."

"Thanks, Ema." I held out my hand, but instead of doing a handshake, she embraced me in a warm hug. I felt my face burning. Ema's face was also pinker than usual. Ema turned toward the door and left. Ahlbi came up beside me and kept asking me random questions.

"Show me the photo, Apollo!" Athena punched me. "Don't be selfish! Ladies first!"

The photo looked a lot clearer now. We could see greater details such as the water, the victim, and what appeared to be a Belgian flag. Athena stared at it suspiciously.

"What's wrong, Athena?" Trucy asked. "You seem... puzzled."

"It's nothing. I just feel like… I… There must be something wrong in this photo, I just can't tell what it is yet."

The bailiff cleared his throat. "As I was saying, the trial tonight… shall begin. Defense and prosecution, please come inside."

We slipped inside the courtroom. I walked over to the defense stand, with Phoenix and Athena following close behind. Maya (sorry, Ryoma) walked over to the witness stand, and Princess Rayfa stood in front of the pool in the middle, doing some breathing exercises before performing the séance.

The judge glared at Rayfa. "H-Hey! You! You should be watching the courtroom from the gallery! Bailiff, escort this woman—"

"Objection!" I shouted. "Y-Your Honour, please…" I grinned nervously. "Er… I actually allowed her to come with us, see… and, um, she's going to provide some evidence that… umm… will help us tonight…"

"I see!" The judge looked surprised. "Very well, then. This court accepts this… evidence. Madam, please present your evidence."

"Your Honour, she can't actually present the evidence," Athena mumbled.

"What do you mean, she can't present it?!" The judge was furious. "The court demands that this evidence be submitted immediately!"

"Y-Your Honour," Phoenix stammered. "Please…"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "You will listen to His Honour and present this evidence! Right here, right now!"

"Grrrrr! That punk!" Athena looked like she was about to jump across the room and strange him. "What are we going to do? He's already sided with the judge!"

"There's only one thing to do." I stared at the witness stand. "Poke holes in witness' testimonies."

"I—Is that… the victim standing at the witness stand?!" The judge stared intensely at Ryoma.

"Er… I guess you could say that, Your Honour." I made a serious face. "His spirit is being channeled by a medium, Maya Fey, a person training in Khura'in for over two years."

"Ob… Objection!" Payne didn't sound very confident. "Wh-What kind of nonsense is the defense spewing out now?! There's no such thing as spirit channeling! The defense has gone mad! I request that all three attorneys be held in contempt of court, as well as this… Mariah person."

(It's actually Maya…)

The judge sighed. "Objection overruled. Mister Payne, I see your point. However, while spirit channeling is highly unlikely, there is no proof that the victim's spirit isn't being channeled either." He glared. "Perhaps you would like to present some evidence that proves your point?"

"Oof!" Payne groaned.

"Ha!" Athena grinned. "There's nothing I love more than a speechless prosecutor!"

"Yeah, but I wish we would just let the victim testify."

The judge overheard us. "O-Oh! Right! Sorry about that. Victim, please testify to the court about the night of the murder."

"Very well." Ryoma unsheathed his blade. "Prepare to be blown away by this impervious testimony!"

The judge ducked under the desk. "W-Witness! No using weapons in the courtroom! Please submit the weapon to the bailiff."

Ryoma just pocketed the sword. "I am the victim in this case. I was visiting Belgium and Germany during a vacation from Ireland. Want to know more information? I've got a passport and travel ticket right there, good as new. Anyway, I was going to the bakery. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my back. I hit the ground, rolling around in agony. I noticed a small fellow with wings standing over me, holding a weapon in his hand. I assumed he was my killer based on those facts.

"Very interesting." The judge nodded. "Defense, you may now cross-examine the witness."

"Alright, Apollo," Phoenix said. "This is the moment where you debunk the witness's lies. Now, good luck."

_I am the victim in this case._

(Nothing really interesting there.)

_I was visiting Europe and Germany during a vacation from Ireland._

"Hold it! Why were you taking a vacation?"

"Well, you see, I—"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "The witness's reason for traveling has no relevance to the case."

"The prosecution has a point." The judge glared at us. "Defense, do you have any objections?"

"Yes, Your Honour. There is a huge problem about the victim's reason for traveling. We need this information. Perhaps, he was called for something important, or was there for some other specific reason."

"Hmmm… I see." The judge turned back to Ryoma. "Please explain to the court why you decided to travel."

_I decided to travel to pass the time along while I was on this world._

(Nope.)

_Want to know more information? I've got a passport and travel ticket right there, good as new._

I stared down at Ryoma's passport. On the side was a little sticker indicating what country he was traveling to. It appeared to be the flag of Belgium, but Athena started peeling it off.

"DEFENSE!" the judge roared, causing Athena to jump. "DON'T TAMPER WITH EVIDENCE!"

In a panic, Athena dropped the sticker and I picked it up. When I read the back, I realized it wasn't the flag of Belgium. Hastily scribbled was the word Germany. The person placing the sticker must have been in a rush and accidentally placed the sticker wrong.

"Objection!" I shouted. "Ryoma, do you recognize this sticker?" I held it up.

"Yes, that's the sticker I got during the trip to Belgium."

"Well, that seems strange. Something's clearly not right here."

"Mister Justice, what are you getting at?" The judge looked surprised. "Show this contradiction to the court."

"This contradicts… a different piece of evidence." I opened up the file of documents. We slowly pulled out the version of the photo that Ema had fixed.

"The… murder scene?" the judge asked. "I'm not so sure I follow."

"The contradiction is right… here!" I pointed at the flag next to Ryoma's body.

"The country's flag? I don't see anything wrong with—"

"OOF!" Payne shouted, sweating profusely.

"Your Honour, the sticker of the flag I'm holding in my hand is shaped like a square. However, the flag in the crime scene photo is shaped like a rectangle!"

Athena butted in. "I can help! I know a lot about Europe! The rectangular flag in the photo isn't the flag of Belgium… it's the flag of Germany!"

"Objection!" Payne looked like he was in pain (no pun intended). "The victim was in a different country. I-It doesn't change anything! That is irrelevant to the—"

"Objection overruled. Now, defense, if you cannot prove how this evidence relates to the case, I will have to sustain the prosecution's objection. Now, show how this flag relates to the case."

"Um… we already did, Your Honour." Phoenix stared at the witness. "Obviously, this witness was not in Ghent at the time of the murder!"

Everyone in the gallery started talking amongst themselves. During the chaos, Phoenix tossed something at me, which felt as hard as a rock when it hit my head. Turns out… it actually was rock covered with hardened moss. At least, it looked and felt like that.

"Put it on like this," Phoenix instructed. "Just like putting on a necklace."

I blushed, feeling humiliated. Reluctantly, I slipped the magatama-necklace over my head and I started feeling tightness. I clawed at the magatama and stared at the witness, breathing heavily. I noticed those locks Phoenix had been talking about.

"I… I see locks on his heart!" I said.

"Really?" Phoenix looked very happy. "That's great! It means that the magatama is working! Why don't you try talking to the witness?"

"Talking to them?! What am I supposed to ask?!"

Athena shrugged. "I don't know much about this, but I'm sure you could ask him anything relating to the case. How many locks do you see?"

"Uhhh… three. Three locks. I thought he summed up pretty much everything in his testimony."

"Okay, let me try talking to him, Apollo," Phoenix said. He cleared his throat. "Ryoma, we know you're hiding something."

"I… I'm not hiding anything, I swear!" Ryoma shouted. "Why do you say that?"

"Because we detected Psyche-Locks on your heart. That proves that you are hiding something."

"Well, if I was hiding something, you still wouldn't be able to get any information about me! I have made the conclusion that the only person who could have killed me was the defendant!"

"Actually, something you said yesterday directly contradicts that." Phoenix pulled out a slip of paper. "After you left Maya's body, I wrote down exactly what you said. In a nutshell, you said that you saw another bloody object near you before you died, am I correct?"

"Oof! Er… that… that's correct, actually." He rubbed his chin. "I do remember seeing something like that."

One of the chains started rattling. When I looked down at the lock again, I realized it was falling apart. Suddenly, the entire lock shattered, which surprised me. I fell backward and bumped my head.

"Did it work?" Athena asked excitedly. "Did you break it?"

"Did I break what?" I mumbled. "Oh, yeah, the locks. Um… one of the locks exploded. Is that supposed to happen?"

"I'm pretty sure you meant the lock broke, right? Like..." He imitated an explosion.

I nodded.

"Great!" he said. "Only two more Psyche-Locks to go."

"Urk! Alright, I admit it. I saw another object on the ground beside me. But it doesn't matter! I'm pretty sure you don't know what it is either!"

"Oh, I do know. Well, not exactly, but I have a pretty good feeling about this. And now… this is the object I believe you saw before you died."

I pulled out an image of Lucina. "Recognize this?"

He stared at it, perplexed. "Uh… a picture of the witness from yesterday?"

"Exactly. Now, the witness yesterday did have a sword, correct? Or was I imagining things?"

"Oof!" He winced. "Er… that's correct, actually. Now that you mention it, it did look like a large blade. Forgive me. My memory is a bit… bad."

"You are forgiven," the judge said. "Defense, continue talking to the witness."

The second Psyche-Lock shattered. One more, and the truth will be revealed…

"Now, about the flag sticker on your passport. I know you're hiding something. And here's the proof!"

I presented the crime scene photo. "Recognize this?"

Ryoma stared at it. "My body. And some weapons."

"Take a look at the flag. There's a bloodstain on it."

"Objection!" Payne yelled. "Perhaps Mister Justice has bad eyesight. This 'bloodstain' he noticed is obviously the red coloring of the flag's design."

"Perhaps you have bad eyesight, Mister Payne." I shook my head. "The bloodstain is not on the red part of the flag. It's right here." I pointed at the middle of the flag.

In the middle of the flag, there was a circle-shaped bloodstain on it, drenching nearly half of the flag. When Payne noticed, he was so shocked… It was hilarious! You should've seen his face!

"S-So?" Ryoma said, sweating. "This flag has nothing to do with the case! I… I don't know anything about the flag!"

"Um… Athena…? We could really use your Mood Matrix right now…"

"Huh?" She pulled off her necklace. "Alright, then. I'll just activate Widget. Now…" She raised her voice. "Your Honour! We demand that the witness testify once more."

"About what exactly?" the judge asked. "We can't just ask witnesses to testify about nonsense."

"I would like the witness to testify about… what he was doing in the country and why he was there."

"Very well, then. Victim, please testify to the court about your reason for travel and what happened. And don't hide anything this time."

"Well, I am technically an envoy. I was asked by a friend of mine to visit him in Germany. When I arrived at Brussels, he told me to meet him in Ghent instead. I went over there to visit him. I had decided to go to the bakery. That's when I was attacked. It was terrible!"

"Oh boy," Athena grumbled. "Lots of discord… as usual. Alright, let's find out what he's hiding."

(I should probably explain how this Mood Matrix works. So, Athena would listen to a witness' testimony and detect anomalies in them involving emotions. These are based on the tone and feeling of the witness. When we find a contradictory emotion, we present it!)

Okay, fast-forwarding to the fifth statement.

_I had decided to go to the bakery._

I looked at the Mood Matrix screen. There were two emotions flashing—sad and happy. The happy appeared first, and then the sad. Obviously, this was a contradiction.

"Got it!" I shouted. "Ryoma, when you described going to the bakery… we detected some sadness coming for you. Care to explain?"

"Well… the truth is, Chrom never showed up. I had been excited to meet him again after those years, but… he just didn't appear."

"Another question." I stared at him. "If this person didn't appear, wouldn't that make you feel angry? Or betrayed?"

"No, not at all. I know Chrom. He's a busy person, always on the move. Honestly, if he had to do something all of a sudden, I wouldn't really be bothered."

(Yeah, right! Time to find another contradiction!)

We looked at the same statement. It suddenly changed.

_I was waiting to meet Chrom, but he never showed up._

_That's when I was attacked._

"Wait… happiness? Why would he feel happy about being killed?"

I pressed the happy emotion.

"Got it!" I shouted. "Witness, we spotted another contradictory emotion. When you said you were attacked, for some reason, you experienced… happiness…"

"That's ridiculous! What idiot would possibly feel happiness about being murdered?"

"I'm not sure myself. But we know you're hiding something. We found out thanks to the Mood Matrix here."

"Actually, the reason I must've felt happiness was because… I met an old friend."

"And this friend is…?"

"The girl sitting in the lobby right now. Apparently, that girl was the daughter of Chrom. I did not expect to meet her there. It had been such a long time since we had last met. Perhaps Chrom had sent her there instead of going there himself. Probably had something to do…"

"Apollo!" Athena shouted. "We did it! All of the discord in our victim's heart has disappeared!"

I looked at the screen. Sure enough, she was correct. The screen showed a zero, meaning we had debunked all of the witness'… er… lies wouldn't be the right word. More like… we had allowed our witness to express themselves clearly through emotions.

"Er… now that the defense is done giving the victim a therapy lesson… I would like to have the witness accurately testify about what he saw that night."

The judge stared at him. "Well, I see no reason for another testimony, but—"

"Objection!" I shouted. "Mister Payne, we have already established what the victim has seen!"

"Exactly," Payne hissed. "Except you're missing one little detail. The defendant."

I froze. "Th-The defendant? Wh… What about him?"

Payne sneered. "Oh, you foolish defense attorney… you have pulled all the information out of the victim… but we're still missing something. The victim only claims to have seen the witness, Lucina. And Lucina claims that she saw the defendant drive that blade into Ryoma's back!"

"Wh-What are you talking about, Payne?!" I shouted.

"Obviously… the only person who could have murdered the victim was the defendant himself! Unless you have some decisive evidence to show to the court, I will be sticking with my claim!"

"Grrr!" Athena grumbled. "That punk! We'll show him!"

"Well?!" the judge demanded. "Do you have proof or not, defense?!"

I shook my head. "Your Honour, the defense cannot present any evidence."

Payne smiled arrogantly. "Aha! See, Your Honour? The defense has been merely wasting our time with their pointless outbursts! Now, I would like you to deliver a verdict of—"

"Not yet." I smiled.

Payne froze. "E-Excuse me?!"

"I said, not yet. We will be able to show you decisive evidence that proves that my client is innocent! Now then… Mister Payne, prepare to be blown away!"

Phoenix looked worried. "Apollo… please… you aren't doing what I think you're doing…"

I stared at him. "And that would be…"

"Performing the Dance of Devotion… you know that it's a sacred tradition only done in Khura'in, right?"

"Not anymore." I turned to Rayfa. "Please… perform the séance… Rayfa…"

Rayfa smiled. "Alright, Apollo!" She rubbed her chin. "Now… what was the victim's name again?"

"Um… it was Ryoma… now, please, can you perform the rite?"

Ryoma turned white. "W-W-Wait! Wh-What are you doing?! What is this… thing… you're performing?!"

Payne started sweating nervously. "Y-Your Honour, don't believe these twits! They're playing tricks! They're trying to fool you! First, spirit channeling! And now… whatever this stuff is supposed to be! If they continue this behavior, I request that they be held in contempt of court!"

I faced Payne angrily. "You may think this is make-believe, but I can assure you, this is the absolute truth. Your Honour, we can assure you that this séance will prove nothing but the truth. We just need to correct the contradictions in it, and…"

"Hmmm… I'll allow the defense to conduct this… thing. It seems very interesting."

"O-Objection! Y-Your Honour, don't you think—"

"Overruled." He glared at Payne. "Any more outbursts from you, Mister Payne, and I'll have you held in contempt!"

Rayfa stepped in front of the fountain. She placed her hands together and gave a slight bow toward the fountain. "O Holy Mother! We hold this Divination Séance in your name! Let the eyes of everyone hear be clear, and our ears be unstopped! O Dance of Devotion! Guide the victim's soul to me! So that we may receive their final memories in the pool of souls!"

Rayfa removed her cloak and started performing the Dance of Devotion… while also singing the Song of Ceremony, which is… also a popular Khura'inese tradition. Athena looked excited, while Phoenix looked like he was either about to throw up or collapse. When Rayfa finished, the fountain started to bubble.

Then, a vision appeared. The Song of Ceremony had worked. We were looking at the last moments of the victim.

"O-Oh, my!" the judge shouted. "A-Amazing! How did you do that?!"

Trucy answered for Rayfa. "A magician would never reveal her secrets, Your Honour! That would ruin everything!"

"Um… Your Honour, can we look back at the vision, please?" Rayfa asked politely. "It's going to disappear soon."

"Very well." He looked at Rayfa. "Members of the court, please direct your attention to the… fountain in the courtroom."

The vision was a little hard to keep track of, mainly because it was very blurry. All across the water, there were weird blobs that looked like smudges or stains. We could only see three feet in front of the victim, which didn't help us at all. However, we did notice something important. In the victim's right hand, he was holding a travel ticket and passport, waiting patiently in the alleyway of a building. When the vision finished, Rayfa stared at the judge.

"Your Honour, please allow me to give my insights."

The judge looked confused. "Er… your what?"

"Insights, Your Honour," Phoenix said. "Princess Rayfa looks at the victim's last moments and then interprets whatever she sees into words. Those are what are known as Insights."

"But wait." The judge rubbed his chin. "I could have sworn there were words and sound effects appearing on the water… Is that supposed to happen?"

"Yes," Rayfa announced. "Those words you noticed appeal to the five senses: smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch. These may seem insignificant at first, but over time, I will correct the anomalies in the vision and alter it."

"A—Anomalies?" The judge was dumbfounded. "I didn't notice anything wrong with the vision, though!"

Payne snickered. "I told you, Your Honour. There is no way this ritual could prove anything at all!"

"Hmmm… well, defense… I will allow you to conduct this séance under one condition."

I froze. "And that would be…?"

The judge closed his eyes. "You must promise to everyone here that this ritual will contain nothing but the truth. Do you accept?"

I nodded. "Yes, Your Honour. I accept!"

Payne shrieked. "Wh-What?! Y-You must be joking!"

Athena shook her head. "I'm defending my… I mean, WE'RE defending OUR client. We wouldn't joke around unless we wanted to get into serious trouble, right?" She turned to Phoenix, and then to me. We both nodded.

"Very well." The judge sighed. "I hope I don't regret doing this."

"You won't, Your Honour," I assured him.

"The defense may cross-examine… the… fountain, now…?"

Rayfa paused. "First, I must give my Insight."

"Y-Your what?" The judge looked confused.

I leaned closer to Athena. I lowered my voice to a whisper, and hissed, "Has he already forgotten?!"

Athena sighed. "Apparently so. Let's not describe it again. He'll get the gist of it once Princess Rayfa finishes testifying."

Rayfa pounded her staff. "It was a rainy night when the victim was killed. The victim was talking to someone on their cell phone. It was also apparently very windy that night. The victim was walking out of the alley when he suddenly felt a sharp pain. He hit the ground, and noticed a figure with wings standing above him. This is when he passed away."

"Crap…" I said. "That makes it sound like our client committed the crime…"

"Well, Apollo?" Phoenix asked. "You know what this means, yes?"

"Yes… We find and correct the discrepancies in the vision!"

I watched the vision several times, and remembered one of Rayfa's statements. _It was also apparently very windy that night._

"O-Objection!" I shouted. "Princess Rayfa, I have found a contradiction."

"C-Contradiction?!" Rayfa looked stunned. "Wh-What are you talking about?"

"According to your statement, you said that it was very windy on the night of the murder, correct?"

I stared at her and she nodded.

"So…" I pounded the table. "Uh… take a look at the rain, Princess Rayfa."

Payne sneered. "What about it? Your Honour, this lawyer has gone senile! There is nothing contradictory about the last moments of the victim!"

The judge, however, was shocked. "I… I see! If there was really wind that night, the rain would be blowing in a different direction! Princess… Rayfa, how do you explain this?!"

Rayfa looked nervous. "I… It's nothing really, Your Honour. Just a misunderstanding. I will now use this mitamah to clear the vision. I will use it to deepen my connection with the victim's soul!"

Ryoma was furious. "I… I knew it all along! It was that angel! That dirty, arrogant punk! If only I had my sword right now… I'd slice him to pieces!"

Athena smirked. "Save your outbursts for after the trial, Ryoma. Keep on saying things and you'll be held in contempt!"

Before Ryoma and Athena could start an argument, Rayfa had altered the vision. The word wind was replaced by bird instead.

"Uhhh… Rayfa…?" Phoenix was sweating bullets. "Bird?"

"Well, now that I've corrected the vision, the noise sounds more like a bird flapping its wings than… maybe not. I'll replace it with wings instead. Now, I will revise my Insight…"

She put her hands together and bowed toward the fountain. "A winged figure was creeping up behind the victim."

"Uh-oh," I whispered. "I think that new statement that was just added points to Pit… He's the only winged figure here…"

"Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it?" Athena stared at the fountain. "We just need to prove that someone else committed this murder!"

"Someone wearing a bird costume?" I asked.

Athena glared. "This is no time for jokes, Apollo!"

I raised my hands. "What? I wasn't joking, I was being serious! Perhaps someone disguised as the defendant."

I looked back at the fountain. I kept repeating the statement to myself: _A winged figure was creeping up behind the victim._ That's when I noticed something strange… The sound of the wings didn't seem to be increasing in size. (I could tell if they were increasing in size because the word would also get bigger…)

"Objection! Huh. Very strange…"

Rayfa glared. "Wh-What are you talking about, Apollo?!"

"About the inconsistency in the vision. Look at the fountain. Notice how the sound of the flapping wings doesn't seem to be getting louder. That certainly seems strange, doesn't it?"

"A-AAAAHHH! I… I don't understand…!"

"Mister Justice!" The judge roared. "What is the meaning of this? Where are you going with this line of questioning?!"

"You'll see, Your Honour. I would like to explain to the court what this really means… The real culprit did not move."

"Objection!" Payne started sweating. "Wh-What is this?! Of course the culprit moved! How else would he have been able to murder the victim?!"

"Think of it this way," I said. "What if… What if Pit's blade was not the real murder weapon?"

"What if?!" Payne roared. "Hypothetical questions can only get you so far, rookie! The culprit could have easily thrown the knife and struck the victim!"

"Yes, that is true, however… If that really was the case, that witness would have seen it, correct?"

"Objection! We have established that that witness couldn't properly see the murder! Therefore, she is not a reliable witness!"

"If she wasn't reliable, why did you even bring her into court as a witness then?!"

"ORDER!" the judge shouted. "The defense and prosecution will stop this bickering at once! Now, where were we… Ah, yes… cross-examining… the… fountain, I guess."

Trucy hopped over the railing and dashed over toward us. "P-Polly! Please let me help!"

I smiled. "Alright, Trucy. What do you think?"

Trucy rubbed her chin. "Well, based on the vision and the words in it, it seems that the culprit had to have been really far away from the victim. The only way they could've struck the victim is if—"

"If they threw the murder weapon. But what kind of murder weapon could the true culprit have used?"

Trucy shrugged. "I really don't know. But if I had to guess, I would say—"

Suddenly, the door swung open and slammed against the wall. A bailiff sprinted over to the judge's desk.

"What is it, bailiff?" the judge demanded. "We're in the middle of a cross-examination right now!"

"Y-Your Honour, we have found decisive evidence!" The bailiff reached inside his pocket.

"Y-You have?! Well, by all means, present it to the court!"

Inside a bag was a pointed object covered in blood. It looked like the edge of a lance or a knife. Right above the flat end of the object was what appeared to be a glowing crystal.

"This arrow tip was found inside of the victim's lung, Your Honour! It appears that the sword is not truly what killed the victim! We also found several fingerprints on the arrow, sir!"

My body tensed up. I started sweating nervously, and closed my eyes. I braced for impact.

"However," he continued, "the prints found on the arrow do not match up with those of the defendant. The prints are not smudged, so it is obvious that the true killer did not try to erase the evidence."

Trucy spoke up. "M-Mister Bailiff, sir?"

The bailiff turned to Trucy. "Yes, miss?"

"Er… have you found the other part of the arrow?"

The bailiff sighed. "Yes, we have. Just a few hours after the murder, we happened to find the other part of the arrow. It had apparently been snapped off, like someone was trying to hide their identity."

"Can you present this evidence to the court as well?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honour." He pulled out his cell phone and called one of his bailiff friends. "Can you bring that piece of evidence? The one relating to Ryoma's murder? Thanks."

Another bailiff entered the room and placed the other piece of evidence on the judge's desk. It looked like a twig that someone had snapped in half—one end looked smooth and flat while the other was as sharp and pointy as, well, Phoenix's hair. (Hopefully he doesn't mind the analogy.)

"The arrow tip and brown stick will be submitted to the court record," the judge announced. "Both sides will use these pieces of evidence responsibly, correct?"

We both nodded.

The judge breathed a sigh of relief. "Very well, then. Defense, will you continue the cross-examination?"

I shook my head. "No, Your Honour. We have already gotten all the information we need. According to the séance, the killer was nowhere near the victim when they murdered them. Which leads us to these two questions… Where was the killer standing and what object did they use to murder the victim? After answering both these questions, I can guarantee that we will have the truth."

"Very well, defense." The judge closed his eyes. "Let's start with your second question. I hope you're prepared to present your case. What weapon could the killer have used?"

"Take that!" I shouted.

"The… arrow tip?" The judge looked shocked and confused.

"Exactly, Your Honour. This is the true murder weapon."

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "Heh heh heh… What a fool you are, Justice. There is a gaping hole in your theory."

"O-Oh, yeah?" I said, shuddering. "Th-Then point out what's so inaccurate in my testimony."

"I thought you would already know. I feel like I am wasting the court's time, but for the sake of the idiot defense lawyer over there, I will present some evidence… The crime scene photo."

"Wh-What?" I stuttered.

"You heard me. The most important part is here!" Payne exclaimed while pointing to a spot on the photo. "The mark on the victim. See the victim's shirt? There is clearly a tear in it, and the only weapon capable of making that mark is…"

Athena started sweating. "A knife…"

"W-Wait!" I shouted. "W-We have no proof that this is the actual murder weapon! The arrow tip is crucial evidence!"

"Now, defense, prove your case." The judge pounded his gavel. "Can you explain how the victim was killed?"

I grinned nervously. "N-No, but I do have a theory…"

"Then let's hear it! Stop stalling and get on with it!" The judge glared. "Do you have a theory or not?!"

"Your Honour, this is my theory on how the victim was killed. The witness was strolling through the alley and was waiting for his friend near the bakery. Suddenly, the culprit fired an arrow at the victim, killing him instantly. The killer then ran to the victim's body and hastily tried to remove it, accidentally snapping it in half. The 'stick' proves it, Your Honour. Next, the killer created a gash in the victim's back with a knife. There you have it, members of the court. That is my theory."

The judge closed his eyes. "What a bizarre theory. However, it is entirely possible that this could've happened. Mister Payne, what are your thoughts?"

Payne snickered. "It appears this defense lawyer has been jumping to conclusions too early. The victim's armor shows that."

Phoenix spoke very nervously. "E-excuse me?"

"Obviously, an arrow could not have been the cause of death. The victim's armor shows that. His armor was too thick for a single arrow to pierce through."

"Objection!" Athena shouted. "You have no proof that the victim was wearing his armor at the time of the murder!"

Payne glared. "Well then, genius, why don't you try asking him?!" He pointed to Ryoma.

"Ryoma!" I pounded the desk. "Were you wearing your armor when you were killed?!"

"Mmf!" He suddenly went crazy. "N-No, I… I mean yes, no…"

"Ryoma!" Phoenix shouted. "Answer the question!"

"Gah! I… I wasn't wearing my armor! I had lost it at the airport!"

(Lost it at the airport? Yeah, right…)

"Apollo!" Athena yelled. "Do we have any proof that he still had his armor with him?"

"I'm not sure, Athena… I'd better check the Court Record again…"

"Mister Justice… Miss Cykes!" The judge shouted. "Do you have any proof that the victim was wearing his armor at the time of the murder?"

"No, Your Honour, we do not." I sighed. "If the victim really had been wearing his armor, a simple slash of a knife or a single arrow wouldn't have done much damaged to him."

Ryoma cursed. "Damn you, Apollo! How… How… How could you possibly debunk all of my lies like that?! You just… ARRRGGGHHH!"

Trucy stared at him. "We have a saying back in America, Mister. 'The truth will set you free.' Please… tell us the truth."

"Alright then. Your Honour, may I testify again?"

The judge nodded. "You may, witness." The judge suddenly sighed. "Just promise me this won't be a waste of time."

"So, er… as I said earlier, I was waiting for Chrom. He was supposed to give me a secret object. But we made a promise and I can't reveal what it is! Anyway, I wasn't wearing my armor when I was killed. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my back. During my last few moments, I tried to fight back, but I couldn't do much damage to my attacker."

"Hmm… this testimony is all over the place. Nevertheless, defense, you may now cross-examine the witness."

So, er… as I said earlier, I was waiting for Chrom.

"Hold it! Why were you waiting for him?"

He rubbed his chin. "He had called me to visit him in Munich, but he told me the weather had delayed the flights from there to Brussels. I had taken a bus down to Ghent and I had been waiting there for about two hours."

"Alright," Payne said. "And what next?"

He was supposed to give me a secret object.

"Hold it! A… secret object?"

"Yup!" He grinned. "And not any normal object, either! Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to discuss it at detail."

(He tried to cover up the details pretty fast, should I let him go…?)

"Wait a minute! If you don't testify, the court will consider that as concealing evidence!"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "The witness has every right to remain silent!"

"Objection!" Trucy shouted. "The witness has offered to testify again! Therefore, he must not hide anything from the court!"

"Objection! You're badgering the wit… I mean, the victim!"

"Objection!" we all shouted. Athena spoke up. "Witness, if you don't answer the question, we will have you held in contempt of court!"

"Con…tempt?" Ryoma looked confused. "Explain?"

"Basically you get arrested," Phoenix added quickly. "Now, will you answer or not?"

"Alright, fine!" Ryoma raised his hands in surrender. "Just ask me whatever you need to ask me."

"Thank you for complying, Ryoma. Now, what is this secret object you're so obsessed with?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. "The Fire Emblem."

"Pardon me?"

"The Fire Emblem. In the kingdom of Ylisse, it's a sacred treasure, and it is well-protected by soldiers there. Somehow, the Exalt—that would be queen to you people—lost the Fire Emblem in a portal and it landed somewhere on this planet. After days of vigorous searching, Chrom finally found it. He found it in a fountain in Venice, I believe."

"And the culprit killed you before Chrom could give you the Emblem?"

"That is correct." Ryoma clenched his fist. "I know it's not the defendant, though."

The judge's eyes widened. "What was that, witness?!"

"I said, it couldn't have been the defendant. Look at his personality. He would never kill anybody, I know it! When I get my hands on the real killer, I'll make them wish they were never born!"

I turned to the defendant's chair. "Pit?"

He responded groggily. "Wh-What is it?"

"I need you to answer one simple question for me. Do you know anybody who has the emotion or passion to murder someone?"

"Well, there's Pittoo…"

Trucy turned her head. "Pittoo? What is he, a clone, or something?"

"Not exactly. He's more like a…" He paused for a bit. "How would you put this? A doppelganger. He's not a clone, but he does resemble me a bit."

"That's not what I meant, Pit. I meant, personality-wise."

"Oh, yeah! He's basically the opposite of me! He would probably kill somebody if he could!"

"What does this person look like?"

"Let me make this as simple as possible." He scratched his head. "Just imagine me with black hair and black wings. Do that, and you basically have a pretty good image of what he looks like."

(So, he's basically just… the defendant wearing darker clothes and… well, dying his hair dark, I guess…)

I felt someone beside me punching me. "Ow!"

Athena was growling, with her fists clenched. "Apollo, you fool! Think about his description again!"

"DEFENSE!" the judge suddenly roared, causing everyone in the courtroom to jump. "Do you know who this culprit supposedly is?"

"Yes, Your Honour." I paused, sweating nervously. "Uh… whoops, I mean… no… maybe… AARRGGGHHH!"

"Dark Pit." Pit was shaking. "He must be the real culprit here. I would never attack anybody. I don't even have a motive to murder anyone!"

"Shut your trap, angel," Payne scolded sternly. "You actually do have a motive."

"I… I… WHAAAATTT?!" Pit was growling furiously. "I… I would never… I don't…!"

"Your Honour, please think about what the defendant has said. He had allegedly come to Europe to retrieve an item known as the… 'Fire Emblem.' Of course, the defendant obviously wanted to take it. When he heard that the late Ryoma was going to take ownership of it, he responded violently."

"Objection!" Trucy shouted. She turned to me, flustered. "Apollo… What do I say?"

"Why'd you even object if you don't know what you're objecting to?!" I pounded my head on the table. "ARRGGHHH!"

"Objection!" Phoenix shouted. "Hold on, Mister Payne. My client had no idea that this Fire Emblem even existed. It's common sense. If he had known about the item, why wasn't it brought up before now?"

Payne shrieked. "Er… that is… well… you see… I… er… might have overlooked it."

The judge glared at him. "Overlooked it?! Mister Payne, you are the prosecutor of this case! You should not be making such careless errors!"

Payne fanned himself with his hand. "M-My mistake, Your Honour."

Phoenix turned to Athena, smiling triumphantly. He was surprised to see her looking nervous. I could tell because he had a shocked expression on his face.

"Er… Mister Wright?"

He looked nervous as well. "What is it, Athena?"

"We have walked right into the prosecution's trap. This was all a setup! He was pulling the strings here!"

I smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure, Athena. Just look at his expression. Judging by his face, I think it's pretty clear that he wasn't expecting us to refute his claims like that."

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted. "It's unfair!"

The judge sighed. "What's unfair?"

"My client hasn't gotten the chance to speak."

"What would they talk about?" The judge raised his gavel in anger. "Just a friendly reminder… screw up here, and it's game over for you, Mister Wright."

"I would like my client to explain to the court about his intentions of coming to Europe."

"I see." The judge looked at Payne. "Any objections from the opposing counsel?"

"Your Honour, this is irrelevant! Plus, the defendant will try to twist the facts to avoid getting punished!"

"No, he won't." I smiled. "And if he does, we'll find the contradictions… and the truth."

"Very well, then," the judge said. "Mister Justice, please call your witness… er, I mean, the defendant."

"But, first..." I looked at Ryoma. "I don't think we need to channel your spirit anymore, Ryoma."

Ryoma nodded sadly. "Alright, then."

A few moments later, Ryoma had disappeared, and only Maya remained. Maya walked over to the gallery and sat down near Layton.

"Anyway, as I was saying," the judge said, exasperated. "Please call the defendant to the stand."


	11. English Trial - Day Two, Part Two

Pit took the stand, and he was very shaky. As he limped toward the witness stand, he kept on losing balance and was shutting his eyes tight. Apparently, he was embarrassed or anxious.

Before we could say anything, Payne spoke up. "Defendant. Your name and occupation. Now."

Pit sighed nervously. "Um… my name is Pit, and I am a servant of the goddess Palutena."

Payne had an exasperated look on his face. "Defendant, please don't lie to the court. Or you will be held in contempt."

Pit started yelling. "IT'S THE TRUTH, I SWEAR! MAYBE BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T MET HER BEFORE, YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE SHE EXISTS! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF I TOLD YOU SHE WAS WATCHING YOU RIGHT NOW?! WOULD THAT SCARE YOU ENOUGH TO BELIEVE ME?! IF THAT DOESN'T WORK—!"

"Defendant!" the judge roared. "Save your chattering for your testimony! Now… where were you on the night of the crime?"

"If I remember correctly, I was sent on a quest from Palutena."

The judge looked shocked. "Er… who is this Palutena?"

"She's… how would you mortals put it… my employer. She lives in a palace far from Earth. I mean, she's still technically on Earth, but she's too far away for you mortals to see her."

The judge looked even more confused. "Er… why do you keep referring to us as mortals?"

"Well, you are mortals. I'm an angel, so… I'm basically immortal… mostly. Unless I somehow lose my powers."

The judge nodded. "Alright, that's enough background information. Now, can you please explain to the court where you first arrived on this planet?"

Pit stretched and yawned. "Well, you see, I sort of fell from the sky. It was an accident. Definitely. Before I knew it, I had plummeted at least five thousand feet. Suddenly, I fell on this really sharp object. It was massive!"

Payne looked confused. "Like a… knife? Or a sword?"

"No, it looked more like an obelisk." Pit looked at Payne, noticed his confused face, and rephrased his statement. "You know, that stick-looking thing humans build in cities."

I spoke up for everyone. "Pit, do you know the general location of where you crash-landed?"

"It was a place called… 'New York', or something. Is that good enough?"

I covered my face with my hands and sighed, exhausted. "Oh, for God's sake…"

Trucy grabbed my shoulder. "What is it, Apollo?"

"I think this object he was stabbed by was probably the Empire State Building. It's the only thing in that area that matches his description."

"Your Honour, I will now testify." Pit stared at the judge. "May I?"

"Of course. Please proceed."

"Palutena had sent me and Dark Pit on a mission to find a stolen ancient item. Viridi sensed that it was coming from a building in Nassau. We were flying over New York City when I fell and was impaled by the obelisk. If it hadn't been for Palutena's powers, I probably would have died there. Anyway, Dark Pit rescued me and we continued on our search. I haven't gotten word from any of them recently."

"How interesting." Payne snickered. "What was this object, exactly?"

The judge scowled at him. "Mister Payne, it will be the defense's job to question the defendant. Now, defense, you may begin your cross-examination."

Palutena had sent me and Dark Pit on a mission to find a stolen ancient item.

"Hold it!" I shouted. "Ancient item? Could you explain a little about it?"

"Er… Palutena told me not to. She told me not to name the object in court."

"Um… you don't need to name the object… Just vaguely describe it."

"We're looking for an orb. It belonged to Palutena, but Dark Pit had lost it while flying over the Caribbean… and that's how we ended up in this situation."

"Then what happened?" asked the judge.

Viridi sensed that it was coming from a building in Nassau.

"Hold it! Viridi?"

"Yep, Viridi. She's a very mischievous girl… but also cute, in a way."

I heard Maya call out from the gallery, "Awww, Pit has feelings for her!" and I also saw Pit blushing.

"N-No I don't!" Pit yelled. "St-Stop!"

"Er… we'll talk about that later, Pit," I said. "Let's just continue with the cross-examination, shall we?"

We were flying over New York City when I fell and was impaled by the obelisk.

"Hold it! You mean the Empire State Building."

Pit looked confused. "The what?"

I groaned. "Come on, man! The Empire State Building! Remember?"

The judge looked surprised. "Mister Justice, what is this Empire State Building you speak of?"

"It's a building in New York City, Your Honour. It's very huge, and the top of the building is very long and narrow."

Pit looked angry. "S-So what?! I… I did get impaled! What else do you need?!"

"Just a few more questions, Pit." I rubbed my chin. "So, when you were impaled, how high up were you? Were you high above the city?"

"Yeah, pretty high up there! But I couldn't exactly tell where I was, you know what I mean? I was enduring too much pain at the time to think straight."

Payne cleared his throat. "For the sake of everyone in the court, I ask that we move on."

If it hadn't been for Palutena's powers, I probably would have died there.

"Hold it! What did this… Palutena person do?"

Pit closed his eyes, trying to remember. "Well… she gripped her staff and muttered several words… Suddenly, the pain in my body disappeared. Just like that!" He snapped his fingers. "Are you satisfied? Or do you have any proof that Palutena didn't rescue me?"

"Oh, yes!" the judge chimed in. "Proof, Mister Justice! PROOF! Do you have any evidence to support your claims?"

"No, Your Honour…" (What claim did I even make in the first place?)

Anyway, Dark Pit rescued me and we continued on our search.

"Hold it! He rescued you?"

Pit nodded. "Yup! He pulled me right off of the obelisk—Sorry, I mean, the… Entire State thing you mentioned earlier."

"I see," the judge said. "Let's continue with the testimony."

I haven't gotten word from any of them recently.

"Hold it! So… you haven't been communicating with any of them?"

"That's right!" He looked excited all of a sudden. He stood up proudly, smiling brightly.

"There's just one thing I wanted to ask." I noticed Athena scribbling a copy of what Pit was saying. "You said you haven't been in touch with your friends recently. If you don't mind me asking, what were you using to contact them?"

"Er… I… I don't remember, actually. It must just be… slipping my mind."

Suddenly, everything around me turned dark. I stared at Pit. Several chains were appearing across his body. Randomly, Psyche-Locks started appearing. I lost count of how many there were. There must have been about five. But there was something strange about these particular ones…

Phoenix noticed me staring at him. "What's wrong, Apollo?"

I could barely speak. "Th… There are Psyche-Locks appearing…"

Phoenix smiled, and spoke very calmly. "Don't worry, Apollo," he assured me. "That's perfectly normal. All people in court, clients or witnesses, will probably be hiding something from us. That's why it's our job to get them to tell the truth!"

"But… these Psyche-Locks… are… they're… black. What does that mean?! Are they hiding something dangerous?"

"Not exactly." Phoenix rubbed his chin. "Black Psyche-Locks indicate that someone is hiding a secret deep inside of their hearts. A secret that they won't willingly let go. We just need to hit him with something so hard that he will be forced to answer our questions."

"For now," Athena said, "let's continue with the cross-examination."

Suddenly, Payne blurted out, "Oh, defendant!"

Pit jumped in surprise and lost his grip on his bow. He caught it quickly and stammered, "Y-Yes, Mister Prosecutor?"

"I just wanted to confirm something with you, regarding your method of communication with your employer." He said the last word as he reached under his desk. A few seconds later, he pulled out a small object. "Might this be your device?"

"Er… what is that thing?" Pit asked curiously.

"Yes, Mister Payne," the judge said sternly. "What is that object?"

"Why, Your Honour, this is the defendant's…" He stared at the minute object in his hand and his eyes widened. "AAAAGGGHHH! Errr… my apologies, Your Honour, there appears to have been a slight, well, mix-up with the evidence! I'll show you the real evidence in a second!"

The judge sighed. "Mister Payne, if you weren't a prosecuting attorney, you would be buried under an avalanche of penalties by now…"

"Finally! I have found the evidence!" Payne declared, holding up a small phone-like object triumphantly. "Your Honour, this is the device that the defendant has been using to contact his associates. His fingerprints have been found all over it!"

"Okay…" The judge looked sternly at Payne. "But where is the other end of the device?"

Payne gulped. "Er… the… other end?"

"Of course… A phone won't bloody work without someone on the other side of the line! Besides, this device isn't like any phone I've ever seen. It looks like a pager… or one of those old-school smartphones people were obsessed with back then!"

"Your Honour, I actually have a little device in my pocket that can detect electronic devices!"

The judge looked up, surprised, like a puppy. (No joke, he actually looked like an excited puppy when he did that). "Well, hurry up and use it already!"

"Alright." Payne set a second small device on the table. For some reason, it resembled a metal detector. "If I just push this button here, the machine will—"

Ever heard one of those school fire alarms? Or perhaps a really annoying car alarm that goes on for hours? Well, that's basically what happened. Mister Genius over at the prosecution's bench thought it would be a great idea to put the metal-detector-like machine near the phone, and as soon as he pressed the button… Everyone in the courtroom was wincing and covering their ears. My Chords of Steel can be loud, but they're not that loud. (Okay, maybe they are really that loud.)

After minutes of ear-piercing sounds and scanning the entire courtroom, the device detected something. It turns out it was coming from the—

"The arrow tip?" the judge shouted.

The crowd in the gallery began talking amongst themselves. I couldn't pick up everything they were saying, but I did catch them saying things about how ridiculous this trial was… and you can't really blame them.

Athena was making gagging noises. "The other part of the device was lodged inside his chest? Oooohhhh… I don't think I can handle much more of this trial…"

"That can only mean one thing, Your Honour… the defendant has been lying to the court!"

"H-How?!" Pit was sweating nervously. "I… I'm not lying… I swear!"

"If you're going to lie, defendant, might I suggest doing a better job at hiding it?"

The judge glared at Payne. "Mister Payne! What are you getting at?!"

"Obviously…" He pointed at Pit. "The defendant has been communicating with his associates after the incident!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pit shouted. He was panting and gasping for air. Behind us, the spectators began screaming and cursing.

"The defendant was lying this whole time!" one shouted.

"I knew there was something suspicious about him!" another chimed in.

The third person's statement hit the hardest. "Those defense attorneys are a bunch of damn fools! They're stupid if they think they can get this weirdo an acquittal!"

The judge silenced the court with three bangs of his gavel. "ORDER! I WILL HAVE ORDER! Now… defendant, please give an accurate testimony."

Pit stared at the ground softly for a few seconds before mumbling, "Yes, sir…"

Athena was fiddling with her necklace. "The defendant must be experiencing a lot of stress and frustration. His emotions are all over the place! There are bound to be some contradictory emotions in his testimony! So let's do this, Apollo! And… er… Phoenix…"

Phoenix looked troubled. "Is there something wrong, Athena?"

Athena jumped back in surprise and blushed. "Er… n-no, Mister Wright! It's just that… I'm really not used to working together as a defense team with you… I remember the first case we worked on together…"

(Oh yeah, I should probably tell you what happened in that case. Athena's best friend, Juniper Woods, was accused of murdering a bomb expert during a bomb detonation in one of the courtrooms. I was also involved in that case. I was also unconscious for the whole case, because this officer… hit me with a rock. Yep. A literal rock. It was really painful. Now, where were we…? Oh, yeah.)

Athena turned on the Mood Matrix. "Pit, could you please repeat your previous testimony once more?"

Pit nodded. "Um… sure… Palutena had sent me and Dark Pit on a mission to find a stolen ancient item. Viridi sensed that it was coming from a building in Nassau. We were flying over New York City when I fell and was impaled by the obelisk. If it hadn't been for Palutena's powers, I probably would have died there. Anyway, Dark Pit rescued me and we continued on our search. I haven't gotten word from any of them recently."

"DEFENDANT!" the judge roared, causing everyone in the courtroom to jump. "REVISE THAT LAST STATEMENT!"

"Er… okay, how about… I may have been in contact with them… but I don't know where they are. Is that better?"

"Yes, a lot better. Now, defense, you may cross-examine the defendant."

"Let's look for contradictory emotions, Apollo," Phoenix said.

I nodded, and stared at the Mood Matrix. We didn't have much time… but we could still do it…

Palutena had sent me and Dark Pit on a mission to find a stolen ancient item. (Happiness and surprise.)

Viridi sensed that it was coming from a building in Nassau. (No emotions.)

We were flying over New York City when I fell and was impaled by the obelisk. (Anger, sadness, and surprise.)

If it hadn't been for Palutena's powers, I probably would have died there. (Happiness and sadness)

Anyway, Dark Pit rescued me and continued on our search. (Happiness and anger.)

I may have been in contact with them… but I don't know where they are. (Sadness.)

I pressed Pit on his first statement. "Got it!"

Athena looked puzzled. "Apollo, are you training your Chords of Steel?"

I froze. "Er… what are you talking about?"

"I don't really see anything wrong with Pit's emotions." Athena sighed.

"Well, obviously, there's something wrong with the spiked-head attorney's brain," Payne taunted.

"Hey, not cool!" I shouted. I leaned near Athena and lowered my voice to a whisper. "At least my hair isn't as spikey as Mister Wright's."

Phoenix eyed me suspiciously. "Erm… what was that, Apollo?"

I rubbed my head. "N-Nothing, Mister Wright."

Phoenix glared. "You can't fool me, Apollo. As soon as you replied by saying nothing, a few Psyche-Locks appeared."

I nearly fainted. (Damn it… I had forgotten about his magatama!)

"Er… it's irrelevant to the case," I said quickly, turning around.

"Hey, defense!" Payne bellowed.

"Wh-What is it?" I answered shakily.

"You haven't proven anything… How are the defendant's emotions contradicting his testimony?"

"I'll talk to the victim myself." I turned to Pit. "Pit, there's something interesting about your emotions."

Pit sighed. "Wh-What's wrong with them?"

"When you brought up the mission, you felt happiness… correct?"

"That is correct."

I looked at the Mood Matrix again. "However, you also felt surprised as well. Care to explain why?"

Pit swung his blade in his hand. "Well, that's because we aren't normally sent on these kinds of missions. It was quite surprising honestly."

"Good job, Apollo!" Athena said. "The noise in his heart has died down."

I looked at the device again and noticed a small number. The number dropped from 100 to 70. The smaller the number, the less the person is hiding, and the more balanced their emotions are.

"I'll go ahead and update the testimony." Athena entered some more data using a holographic keyboard.

(Yes, I know, she has all the fancy gadgets at her disposal…)

"Eureka!" she shouted. "The updated testimony matches the defendant's emotions perfectly! Let's keep going, Apollo!"

Next, I pressed Pit on his fourth statement. "Got it!"

Pit whimpered. "Pl—Please don't shout at me! It makes me uncomfortable!"

Payne shushed him. "Quiet, defendant. Let the defense attorney explain the so-called contradiction. Save your talking for your explanation."

I looked at him. "I understand that you felt happiness when you were rescued by Palutena. However…"

Pit winced. "Please, don't scream! I'm kind of already anxious enough!"

"You also felt fear when you mentioned being rescued. That part confuses me."

"I just felt afraid that I wouldn't have been able to survive." He sighed. "Is that good enough for you, Mister Justice?"

"The noise level has dropped again!" Athena shouted. "This time it dropped from 70 to 30! We just need to nail him a few more times before we can get rid of it completely!"

I pressed Pit on his fifth statement. "Got it! Pit, I just want to clarify something. Do you have a positive relationship with this… Dark Pit?"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "This question is irrelevant to the case!"

The judge nodded in approval. "I see. Defense, do you have a rebuttal? If you do not, I will agree with the prosecution and your question will be invalidated. Now… how is this question relevant to the case? Is it relevant at all?"

"It is extremely important." I picked up a paper and skimmed through the text. "Throughout the course of this trial, we have proven the possibility that Dark Pit could be the true culprit. If we establish the defendant's connections to his friend, perhaps we could prove a motive for murder. For Dark Pit, of course."

"Let me get this straight," the judge said. "Are you trying to indict this person as the true culprit?"

I nodded. "Of course, Your Honour. While it will be challenging to prove Dark Pit murdered Ryoma, we certainly cannot deny the possibility that he is the true culprit."

The judge nodded. "You have a point, Mister Justice. There is no evidence proving that this mysterious person did _not_ commit this murder."

"Er… Your Honour?" Pit sighed. "May I answer the defense's question?"

"Oh, sure, go ahead," the judge said, and he stared at him.

"Well, to answer their question… it's not exactly what you would call a positive relationship, but nonetheless, it's a relationship. You see, we have a bit of… well, a rivalry between us. I'm trying to be loyal to Palutena, but… Dark Pit… He's just, you know, he seems depressed and angry all the time." Pit sighed. "If only I could help him…"

Athena slapped me. "Apollo!"

"Ow!" I shouted, rubbing my shoulder. "What is it, Athena?"

"We've removed all of the noise! We did it!" She started jumping up and down. For some reason, she resembled Trucy.

"That's good, but next time, can you please get my attention in a less violent way?"

Athena looked confused. "Violent? It was a friendly pat. Besides, when have I ever done anything _violent_ to you?"

I coughed. "Remember that time I met you? You literally threw a police guard at me and nearly knocked me out? I could've died from that!"

Athena blushed. "Sh-Shut up! I-It was an accident!"

Pit cleared his throat. "Am… Am I finished?"

The judge nodded. "Yes, defendant. You are finished. You may return to your seat now."

As Pit returned to his seat, I pulled out a tiny notepad and a ballpoint pen and wrote down what we had learned from Pit's testimony. Initially, Pit had no intentions of travelling to Europe. His associate was named Dark Pit, and Pit had a neutral relationship with him.

"Hold it!" Athena shouted. "Pit! You're not allowed to leave yet!"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "The defendant may leave whenever he wishes. Okay, not exactly… but you know what I mean!"

I cleared my throat. "Defendant! I would like to ask you a question."

Pit shakily walked over to the witness stand again. "Wh-What is it?"

"Do you think you might be able to summon Dark Pit here?"

Pit's eyes widened. His grip on his staff tightened. "S-Summon him? It's been a while since I've summoned someone before… but I'll try… for you, Mister Justice. Oh! Just a reminder… Dark Pit, he has a bad attitude… and anger issues. He might put up a fight if we bring him here."

"Do whatever you must," the judge said sternly. "We don't have much time tonight."

Pit closed his eyes and held his staff in front of him. He started muttering words softly, and the staff began to glow. Pit was suddenly engulfed in a purple flame, and the temperature in the courtroom rose from about 70 degrees to a thousand. The entire jury went silent… except for a faint painful scream somewhere in the gallery. The fire, however, was as loud as a jet.

"What's he doing?!" Athena shouted over the deafening sound of the flames.

"He's supposed to be summoning this ally of his!" I covered my ears. "Why are you so angry?!"

"Because this was _your_ idea!"

I sighed. "Well, it looks like it's working so far, at least!"

Suddenly, the flames exploded. The judge and the jury ducked down to avoid the flames, and we attorneys hid under our desks. When the flames died down, we steadily rose from our desks. We noticed the defendant still standing where he was. However, there was also another person standing nearby.

My throat felt dry. I strained to get the words out of my mouth. "D-Dark Pit?"


	12. English Trial - Day Two, Part Three

Dark Pit looked at us with a stare as cold as ice. He had black hair and black wings, a quiver fully loaded with arrows, and a staff and bow, just like Pit. He gave Pit a slight punch and took the witness stand. When he spoke, a chill ran down my spine.

"Why did you call me here?"

His voice was the opposite of friendly. He sounded exasperated and frustrated, as if he wanted to attack somebody. He held his bow in an attack position, pretending he was going to shoot us.

The judge ducked behind his desk. "D-Don't ask me! It was the d-d-defense's request!"

Dark Pit turned to Pit. "Why did you summon me?"

Pit sighed, and started pleading. "I had no choice! I was given an order by my defense attorney! I'm very sorry!"

I started sweating. "H-Hey! That's not true! I… I only asked you if you could summon him!"

Payne looked like he was going to collapse. His skin had become as white as a ghost. "Well, Mister Justice? Y-You have summoned this person to the court? Wh-What are they going to testify about?"

(He's got a point. What should I make them testify about…?)

"I would like the witness to testify about… Er… About where he was on the night of the murder."

Dark Pit suddenly fired an arrow at me. I ducked, and the arrow pierced through the floor. He was about to load another arrow when…

"Pl-Please, Mister!" Trucy wailed. "Pl-Please testify for us…!"

"Tr-Trucy?!" I shouted. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you insane? He's going to murder us all!"

Dark Pit blushed. "O-Oh, alright, then…"

The judge cleared his throat. "Witness, please testify to the court."

"Ummm… Palutena had sent us on a mission. We were supposed to retrieve a stolen artifact in the Mediterranean Sea. Pit must have strayed off somewhere. That would explain how he ended up in Ghent. I have not met him since then."

The judge sighed. "Once again, the witness' testimony is all over the place. Please, defense, cross-examine this witness." He sighed again. (Can you blame him?)

 _Ummm… Palutena had sent us on a mission_.

"Hold it!" I picked up a paper that Athena had laid on the desk and read it. "Witness, according to Pit, you assisted him in searching for a lost item, correct?"

He scratched his head. "Er… I believe that is correct…"

"We have already gone over this, defense." Payne glared. "Well, let's move on with your testimony, shall we?"

 _We were supposed to retrieve a stolen artifact in the Mediterranean Sea_.

"Objection!" I shouted.

Dark Pit nearly fell backward. His eyes were wide-open, and he looked furious. "What was that for?!"

"What you have just said… it's very interesting, to be frank."

"What are you hinting at, defense?!" the judge roared.

"According to you, you and Pit were searching for a stolen artifact in the Mediterranean. Is that correct?"

"W-Well, yes," he said. "Isn't that close to what Pit said?"

I shook my head. "Not even. Members of the court, remember what Pit said in his testimony. 'Viridi sensed that it was coming from a building in Nassau.' Those were the words of the defendant."

"What I said matches his testimony, though, right?"

I sighed and turned to Athena. "He's gonna keep this up until we have decisive evidence."

Athena punched me. "We _do_ have evidence, you fool! Apollo, how could you be so foolish!"

Phoenix chuckled. "You remind me of an old… ally… I met in my first few years as a defense attorney."

I looked at Athena again. "Where is the evidence? We need… some sort of map!"

Athena pulled off her necklace and a screen appeared. She scrolled for a few seconds before selecting an app. When the app opened, I noticed a map of the entire world.

I smiled. "Thanks, Athena."

Athena smiled back. "Anytime. Now, let's present this to Dark Pit."

"Dark Pit." I enlarged the map so he could see it clearly. "I don't think you have your facts straight."

Dark Pit whipped out his blade. "What was that, punk?"

I cleared my throat. "Let me rephrase that. It appears you made a slight mistake when you testified earlier."

Dark Pit's voice faltered. "And that would be...?"

"Your Honour," I said. "I will enter the city brought up in the defendant's testimony."

"Very well," the judge said. "Please, hurry up! Do whatever you must!"

I tapped the search icon on the corner of the screen and entered the name of the city... _Nassau_. After hitting enter, the map shifted over to a small island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. When Dark Pit noticed it, he panicked.

"Wh-What?!" he shouted. "B-But... I... I don't... I don't understand! I'm not lying, I promise! I was close, right?"

"Witness, I'm getting tired of repeating myself." I marked Nassau and the Mediterranean Sea. "Nassau and the Mediterranean are about 5,000 miles apart!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" he shouted. He was already starting to sweat nervously.

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "Interesting, defense. You have proven something. I applaud you for that. However... it is not relevant to the case at hand. As a result, what you have just proven is utter nonsense!"

"Objection!" Trucy shouted. "Er... it isn't nonsense! It... It's very important!"

The judge nodded. "I see. And... Defense? Are you prepared to explain yourself?"

I nodded. "Your Honour, this is very important. There is no way any witness could accidentally make a slip-up this big. And I think I know why this witness' testimony is so different from the defendant's testimony. It's because... It's because this witness is talking about a _different_ treasure."

Dark Pit glared. "Wh-What?! That's ridiculous! O-Of course we're talking about the same thing! Well, fine, then! If you're going to go that far... what was I looking for?"

"Nnnnnnnnggghhh... NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I shouted. I banged my head on the table. "D... Damn it...!"

"Don't give up hope." Phoenix placed his hand on my shoulder. "We still have _that piece_ of evidence."

"Wh-What are you talking about, Mister Wright?"

"When you get stuck... look at the case from a different angle. Think outside the box. That's what my mentor used to tell me. Yesterday, we learned about a new piece of evidence. So... you know what to do... don't you?"

I slowly raised my head... "HOLD IT!"

Dark Pit smiled evilly. "Don't say anything, defense. You'll only end up humiliating yourself."

"I have evidence... Evidence of what you were looking for..."

"Well, now!" The judge's eyes opened wide. "How surprising! Now... please present this evidence to the court. What was the witness searching for?"

"Take that!" I shouted, handing him an image.

"What is this... photo?" he asked. "There is nothing here. Unfortunately, defense, I will have to pe—"

"Wait, Your Honour! This witness was searching for the Fire Emblem!"

"Hmmm... Witness! Well, were you?! Were you searching for the Fire Emblem?!"

Dark Pit chuckled. "Brilliant deduction, Justice. Indeed, I was searching for the Emblem. But... what importance does it have in this case?"

"You weren't here for the first day of the trial, witness. You missed a lot of important facts. The Fire Emblem is what caused this whole murder."

Dark Pit suddenly froze. "Wh-What?"

"The victim was to meet his friend in Europe to receive the Emblem." I looked at a paper Phoenix had written. It recorded all of the previous testimony. "Ryoma's acquaintance, Chrom, was going to hand over the Emblem to him. Where the Emblem disappeared to… I don't know."

"I see…" The judge sighed. "Let's just continue with the testimony."

_Pit must have strayed off somewhere._

"Hold it! He strayed off somewhere? What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, Pit has a tendency to lose focus often. He's what you might call… an airhead. That's exactly why I cannot trust him on some missions. He gets distracted too much… and, if worse comes to worst, he could end up compromising our whole mission."

Pit glared at him. "I'm right here, buddy."

Payne cleared his throat. "Let's continue with your testimony."

_That would explain how he ended up in Ghent._

"Hold it! Frankly, that's hard to believe. Belgium and the Mediterranean are very far from each other…"

Dark Pit pulled out his bow and started stretching it. "S-So what?! It's just a slight mistake!"

"Are you sure Pit made a mistake that huge?"

Dark Pit nodded. "Yup… always does that. Like when he impaled himself on that large obelisk in New York… it takes forever to get back on track. I have one last thing to say…"

_I have not met him since then._

"Hold it! You have just contradicted your friend's testimony."

Dark Pit glared. "How so?!"

"According to the defendant, he could clearly see a silhouette of you while the murder was taking place. His descriptions of you match perfectly, and you have a bow and a quiver of arrows… how suspicious…"

"ARRRGGGHHH!" Pit banged his head on the stand.

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "So what? Anyone could have dressed up like the witness!"

"But… what if… what if…?"

Payne glared. "What if?! _That's_ the best defense you can come up with?! I know your strategy, Mister Justice! You're going to bluff and keep bluffing like your employer!" He turned to the judge. "Your Honour, I request that a verdict be handed down on the defendant immediately!"

The judge nodded. "That sounds fair, Mister Payne." The judge slammed his gavel on the sound block. "Unfortunately for the defense, they have failed to prove anything through the course of this testimony. The cross-examination of Dark Pit is complete. Now… I find the defendant…"

"HOLD IT!" That voice shook the entire courtroom.

"P-PIT?!" Trucy shouted. She leaned over the desk.

"I… I… I have evidence!"

"E-Evidence?!" The judge jumped. "W-Well, present it! Hurry up!"

Pit reached into his bag and pulled out a black clump. He placed it on the desk in front of us, and walked back to the defendant's seat. I walked over to the evidence and picked it up. Suddenly, I dropped it.

Trucy leaned over to me. "What's wrong, Polly?"

I groaned. "It's all wet…"

Athena grumbled, and turned to Pit. "Wh… Why is it… so… wet?"

Pit scratched his head. "I… er… found it at the scene of the crime. It was soaked in rainwater. Sorry about that."

Phoenix looked at the black clump. "What is it supposed to be?"

"You'll find out once it dries." Pit smiled slyly at us. "Be prepared. It'll really surprise you."

We waited a few minutes. Payne started fiddling with evidence, and the judge kept playing with his gavel, trying to keep himself entertained. Eventually, the clump began to unfold. It unfolded into a—

"A feather!" Athena shouted.

"WHAT?!" I shouted. "Pit! Where did you find this?"

Pit looked confused. "Didn't I tell you? At the scene of the crime. Where else?"

"That's really vague, Pit. Where at the scene of the crime did you find it?"

"Well, after I heard a loud groan, and loud gusts of wind, a pile of feathers appeared near me. I picked the feathers up and pocketed them."

Phoenix started sweating. "W-Wait… are you saying you… HID EVIDENCE?!"

Pit let out a muffled scream. "Uh… n-not intentionally! I… I had no idea it was evidence! It was an accident, I swear!"

Payne shook his head. "Nonetheless, tampering with evidence is tampering with evidence. Now, it looks like you'll be accused of TWO crimes!"

"Objection!" I shouted. "My client had… er… no idea that this evidence was important!"

"Objection! What kind of excuse is that? If you're going to prove your client's innocence, you should at least try to come up with a better defense!"

"GRRRRR…. RRRRRNNGGGHHH!" Dark Pit was gritting his teeth, sweating profusely. "AAAARRGGGHHH!"

"Witness?" the judge asked. "What's the problem?"

"You fool!" Dark Pit glared at Pit. "How could you?! I saved you earlier! You… You backstabbing punk! I should've left you to die! I… I was your friend! I wanted to protect you!"

Suddenly, Athena pounded the desk, causing everyone to jump. "Hold it! What did you just say?"

"I wanted to protect Pit." He shrugged. "That's all."

Athena shook her head. "No, it isn't. I clearly heard you mentioning something about Pit being a… backstabber."

"Oh… OH! That! That was.. er… a mistake! A slip of the tongue!"

Phoenix slammed the desk as well. "WITNESS! You coerced the defendant into being silent, didn't you? That's why you called him a backstabber! You were trying to conceal evidence, weren't you?!"

"N-No, of course I wasn't! How could you accuse me of such a heinous crime?! I don't know what you're talking about! I didn't murder anyone, and I am not concealing evidence!"

I felt a tightening feeling on my arm. I looked at my bracelet. It was reacting…

"What's wrong, Apollo?" Phoenix asked. "Your bracelet is reacting?"

"Yes… the witness is obviously hiding something."

He nodded. "I can tell. When he said he didn't know what we were talking about, several Psyche-Locks appeared. And they were black."

"S-So he really did murder Ryoma…"

"There's only one way to find out!" Phoenix turned to the judge. "Your Honour, this witness clearly murdered the victim!"

"Hmm…" The judge was pondering Phoenix's statement. "And you're making this claim on what grounds? Do you have proof?"

Phoenix smirked. "Would I really go this far without evidence? Of course I have proof. Witness! You have done a good job keeping quiet about your actions that night. However, you made one significant mistake. The evidence that proves your guilt is this…!" He reached for the feathers. "TAKE THAT!"

"The… feathers?" the judge asked. "What does that prove?"

"It proves that the defense's brain is faulty," Payne said quickly, snickering.

"It's your brain that is faulty, Mister Payne," Phoenix said.

"What did you say?"

"These feathers clearly show that the victim was murdered by this witness." Phoenix held up one of the feathers and stared at Dark Pit. "Who else has dark wings like this?"

Dark Pit's grip tightened on his staff. He was growling. "Fine! I was at the scene of the crime! Is that what you want, you arrogant, obsessive-compulsive, sorry excuse for an attorney!"

I smirked. "I would shut that mouth of yours before you say something that will get you convicted. Now, you have just revealed something very important to the court. You were present at the crime scene."

"That means nothing!" He pointed his staff at me. "Don't accuse me of something I didn't do!"

Payne nodded. "That's right, witness. Mister Justice! Stop badgering the witness!"

"Fine!" I shouted. "Dark Pit, you were present at the crime scene. Why don't you testify as to what you saw when you passed by?"

Dark Pit suddenly became so surprised he dropped the spear. "T-Testify?"

I nodded. "Yes. Testify."

"I… I don't have to!" Dark Pit glared. "You can't make me say anything! You won't!"

"W-Well…" I slammed the table. "There's no proof that the defendant murdered the victim! Unless…"

"Objection! You haven't forgotten about the blood-stained weapon, have you?" He presented Pit's blade. "This weapon belongs to the defendant. It contains his fingerprints. Now, let's see you debunk my theory. Do you have any evidence that contradicts this weapon?"

Athena turned to me. "Do we have any evidence?"

I sighed. "Maybe… I have an idea… but it's very ridiculous, and doesn't make sense… but it's the only explanation…" I took a deep breath. "Here goes… I _do_ have evidence that contradicts the weapon."

"Oh, really?" the judge asked. "Now, this is interesting! Now, without further ado… Present your evidence, Mister Justice." He raised his gavel, and glared. "Now, mess up here, and it's all over."

"Take that!" I shouted. I put on the gloves and held up the weapon.

"The… weapon?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honour."

He scratched his head. "I'm not quite sure I follow."

"Then allow me to simplify. The police found the defendant with this weapon in his possession. This also means that the defendant had ample time to clean the murder weapon, correct?"

"Oh, my!" the judge shouted. "That's absolutely correct!"

"But there's one thing that doesn't make sense," I continued. "He had a chance to destroy the evidence, yet he didn't take it." I pounded the table. "So why didn't he take it?!"

"MMMMGGGHHH!" Dark Pit let out a muffled scream.

Everyone in the gallery began talking amongst themselves again. This was silenced by a few taps from the judge's gavel.

"Order! Order! I will have order! Mister Justice! What does this mean?"

"I'm not quite sure, yet, but this is very important! I'm sure of it! The question now is what caused him to not remove the bloodstains. I have an idea of what happened."

"You do? Well, by all means, tell us. Why didn't the defendant destroy the evidence?"

"The only logical explanation is… he was unconscious."

"U-Unconscious?! But… But I thought he saw the culprit!"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. He was sweating. "Th-This is outrageous! The defendant was unconscious?! This is—"

"I wasn't finished, Mister Payne. Pit saw the murder happen. That has been established. What has not been established is what happened after the murder."

"A-After?" the judge exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

"This is just a theory, but… Pit was knocked after the murder took place!"

Again, everyone in the gallery began talking amongst themselves. The judge slammed his gavel so hard, I thought it would break.  
"ORDER! I WILL HAVE ORDER!" He glared at the bailiff. "If I hear another sound out of anyone in the gallery, I will have the bailiff personally escort everyone out! Now, where were we?"

"Ludicrous!" Payne shouted. "The defendant became unconscious because someone hit him?"

I turned to Pit. "Pit, were you knocked unconscious?"

"I… I'm not sure." He rubbed his head. "It was morning. I was holding a weapon covered in blood in my hands, and I heard loud annoying sounds as I struggled to get up. I also felt a headache. There was a bump on my head, however."

"A… bump?" I smirked at Payne. "That's proof that the defendant was struck unconscious!"

"Objection! You can't say that for sure! The victim was fighting back, obviously!"

I shook my head. "That's where you're wrong, Mister Payne. The victim was facing his back toward the killer. It would have been impossible for him to fight back."

"Urp!" Payne sank behind his desk.

"Dark Pit!" Athena slammed the desk. "You're the real killer, aren't you?"

"Heh heh heh… HA HA HA!" Dark Pit started to laugh uncontrollably.

"What's so amusing?!" Athena demanded.

"You four are the worst defense attorneys I've ever seen. I know how you function. You call up a witness, provide a crappy defense, present random evidence, and immediately get that witness arrested! Your client gets off the hook just like that!"

I turned to Phoenix. "May I have your magatama?"

He nodded, and handed it to me. I slipped it on, and suddenly, five black Psyche-Locks appeared. He really was hiding something important to him. Athena turned on her Mood Matrix, and Trucy was just glaring at him, trying to come up with a counterargument.

"Dark Pit." I looked at him. "I know you're hiding something."

"Wh-What?!" Dark Pit whipped out his staff again. "I'm not hiding _anything_!"

"I know what you did that night. You were stalking the victim. You were also looking for the Fire Emblem. When you heard that the Fire Emblem was to be given to Ryoma, you took action. You used a bow and shot him with an arrow, killing him. Pit was also there at the scene. You didn't want any witnesses so you knocked out the defendant. Then, you fled the scene, but you accidentally left behind a trace… your feathers."

Dark Pit started breathing heavily. "N-No! Th-That didn't happen!"

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "Then how do you explain the defendant's prints on the knife?"

"Wh-What?" I started sweating.

"Surely you haven't forgotten that the handle of the blood-stained weapon is covered in the defendant's prints?"

"Nnngghhh…" I pounded the table in frustration. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Just as I was about to give up, Phoenix grabbed my shoulder.

"Throwing in the towel already, Apollo?" he said.

"It's no use." I sighed. "There's no way I can present evidence that can turn this trial around. I might as well give up."

"That's not the right decision, Apollo." He glared at me. "A rival prosecutor once told me something special. He said, 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth.' Those aren't just random words, Apollo. They helped me get through a very intense trial."

"So… by eliminating the impossible… I'll find the truth?"

Phoenix smiled. "Now you're getting it! Alright… let's start off by eliminating the impossible."

"Well," I began, "for starters, we know the first witness, Lucina, wasn't the killer or an accomplice, so we can remove her as a possible suspect. Now, we also know the defendant claims that he didn't kill the victim. And there isn't any proof that he tampered with the crime scene."

"And those facts can only mean one thing…"

"That means… Dark Pit murdered the victim _and_ also tampered with the crime scene."

Trucy frowned. "But that doesn't explain the prints on the weapon!"

I smirked. "Actually, it _does_ , Trucy."

Athena glared. "How?! Tell me!"

"Well, Dark Pit was the only person who had time to dispose of evidence. He must have knocked out the defendant. Now, the cause of death was an arrow. But the first witness claimed she saw someone stabbing the victim. She claims to have seen the victim and the other person fighting. Now, what if this witness used the blade to create an incision in the victim's body? That would've gotten blood on the murder weapon. But if the witness on the stand right now is the killer, that would mean his prints would be on the murder weapon."

"So… how did the Pit's prints get on the knife?" Athena scratched her head.

"Obviously…" I raised my voice, and pointed at Dark Pit. "You switched out your blade!"

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean, Mister Justice?" the judge asked.

I pounded the table. "I'm saying… This witness disposed of his weapon!"

"D-Disposed of it? UNBELIEVABLE!" The judge looked like he was about to faint.

Everyone began talking again. The judge silenced them with a stern look. Fortunately, he didn't call over the bailiffs to "escort" the spectators in the gallery. Otherwise, it likely would have ended really badly… for everyone.

"Mister Justice… Explain this! How did he dispose of the weapon?"

"Take that!" I handed the judge a photo of the defendant.

"The… defendant?" The judge had a bewildered look on his face. "What are you talking about, Mister Justice?"

"I've eliminated the impossible, Your Honour. The conclusion I came to was that the witness knocked the defendant unconscious and slipped the murder weapon into his hand. That is how my client's fingerprints got on the knife."

"Objection!" Payne shouted. "What about this witness' prints? Shouldn't they be on the weapon, too?"

I nodded my head, and then smirked. "Yes, they _should_. But, for some reason, they don't seem to be there. There's only one possible explanation for this… THIS WITNESS WIPED HIS PRINTS OFF THE WEAPON!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Dark Pit shouted. There was a loud metallic sound when he tensed up. Dark Pit slowly bent over to pick it up. Before he could, the judge ordered one of the bailiffs to seize him, which they did. Before anyone did anything else, Athena put on gloves and rushed over to the object and picked it up.

"Is that…" The judge squinted. "A… KNIFE?!"

"Yes, Your Honour," Athena said. "This knife has no blood on it… but it does have some visible fingerprints on it. Your Honour, I request that the fingerprints on the murder weapon and this new knife be compared immediately."

"Very well." The judge nodded. "I will accept the defense's request. Bailiff! Take these two blades and have them analyzed for fingerprints! Compare the prints on each knife to the defendant's prints!"

We waited for about ten minutes. Everything was silent. Trucy looked like she was about to fall asleep, and I felt extremely tired. Just as I was about to fall asleep, there was a deafening slam. The bailiffs rushed through the doors, holding the murder weapon. (Okay, obviously, they had it in a case. They weren't going around running with sharp objects. That would be stupid.)

"Ah! Bailiffs!" The judge looked pleased. "What were the results?"

"The fingerprints on both weapons match those of the defendant!"

"Wh… WHAAAAT?!"

I smirked. "See, Your Honour? The prints _do_ match, which can only mean one thing. Dark Pit…" I pounded the desk. "YOU SWITCHED OUT THE WEAPONS!"

"Wh… Wh… NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dark Pit lost his composure. He looked like he was about to kill someone.

"You wiped your prints off the weapon and slipped it into the defendant's hands! Then, you pocketed his weapon and fled from the scene! Well?! You can't explain your way out of this one, can you?!"

"Urrrgghhh…" Dark Pit let out the most painful scream you could ever imagine. "MISTER JUSTIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEE!" Suddenly, he collapsed.

The bailiffs carried Dark Pit's unconscious body out of the courtroom, and everyone began chattering again. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. My first case abroad in Europe… but we managed to pull through…

"Ahem!" the judge said, and everyone went silent. "Mister Payne, where is the witness?"

"Er… he is being held in the detention center. He has confessed to everything, but he still appears to be a little… um… crazy, if you know what I mean."

"Well, then!" The judge stared at us. "I see no reason to further prolong this trial! This court finds the defendant, Pit… NOT GUILTY."

Everyone in the courtroom began to cheer. We all hugged each other, and started to cry happily. Before everything could get out of control, the judge silenced everyone by saying, "That is all. Court is adjourned." He pounded his gavel.


	13. The Recruit

As we exited the courtroom, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Besides Khura'in, I hadn't really traveled abroad. I certainly didn't defend clients in foreign countries, either. I walked over to Pit. He was frowning, and his head was facing the ground.

"What's wrong, Pit?" I asked him.

"I… I would like to thank you for defending me, Mister Justice." He smiled sadly. "But what I don't understand is why… why Dark Pit would do something like that…"

(Why _would_ Dark Pit commit murder? What was the motive…?)

"Mister Justice." I heard a voice coming from behind me.

"Ah, Lucina." I looked at her. "What's going on?"

"My father would like to meet you," she said softly.

"Er… what for?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."

Suddenly, a man walked up behind her. Just like Lucina, he had blue hair, a sword, and he was also carrying a large shield. He looked like a warrior from the Middle Ages, and he kept a straight, serious face.

"Mister Lawyer," he said. "I believe I have the item that caused this whole incident."

"Y-You do?!" I was shocked. My shock turned to anger. "Wait a minute, you're telling me you _stole_ the item?! The victim said he was supposed to receive it from someone named Chrom."

He chuckled. "I _am_ Chrom."

I blushed. "O-Oh. Sorry about that."

"It's fine." He held his shield in front of him. "Here's the object."

"A… shield? A shield caused this murder… why don't I believe that?"

"Well, this is the Fire Emblem. I was hoping to transfer control of it to Ryoma, but… he was unfortunately killed in the incident. I suppose I'll just have to give it to Robin instead."

"Chrom… sir? May I borrow that?"

He nodded, and I slipped the handle on the back of the shield over my arm. I turned around and showed the shield to Pit.

"The Fire Emblem." I stared at him. "When Dark Pit heard that the Emblem was going to be taken by someone else, he needed to make sure that it didn't reach its target. So, he murdered the victim. Unfortunately for him, the Emblem hadn't reached the victim yet."

"I… I see," Pit said solemnly. "I guess I'm off the hook now, right?"

I nodded. "Pretty much. I'll see you later, Pit."

He smiled at me, and I smiled back. Then, he pulled out his staff, chanted a spell, and was enveloped in a bright, yellow light. Within seconds, he had disappeared. I assumed he had returned to his home with Palutena.

"We'll be going as well, Mister Justice," Lucina said. "Heh. You're a pretty good attorney, you know that?"

"Thanks, Lucina." I smiled, and she left the courthouse with Chrom following close behind.

"Hee hee!" Trucy grabbed my hand. "You did it, Polly! I knew you could do it!"

I blushed. "Th-Thanks, Trucy… I couldn't have done it without you…"

Suddenly, Trucy leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. My face turned bright red, and Trucy's face was lobster-red. When I spoke, I couldn't help stuttering.

"Tr-Trucy…" I kept on stuttering as my heart started beating faster than it ever had. "I—Is there something you want to tell me?"

"W-Well…" She fiddled with her hat. I felt my bracelet vibrating. "I… Do you… Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

I smiled. "Of course, Trucy… I will."

I turned around, and noticed Phoenix wincing. He was trembling, and he kept on muttering something under his breath.

"Is there something wrong, Mister Wright?" I asked. "You seemed to tense up when Trucy asked me to be her boyfriend."

Phoenix forced a smile. "Er… n-nothing's wrong… Apollo… trust me."

Maya smiled slyly. "I _knew_ it! You had feelings for him after all, Trucy!"

Trucy smiled slyly back. "You mean like how you have feelings for my Daddy?"

Maya blushed, and walked away. Trucy had defeated her. I was heading toward the entrance when something sharp hit me in the back of my head. It fell on the floor, and I picked it up and read it. It was a red folded paper, just like the other papers I had received.

 _You haven't forgotten about our meeting, have you_?

I shuddered. I had completely forgotten about the previous message.

"Guys," I said, panicking. "You guys go on ahead without me. I need to run a small errand!"

"What kind of errand, Apollo?" Athena asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have to meet with someone… I'll see you back at the study!"

I bolted out of the door, and ran across the street to the London Bridge. I walked over to the spot where I had met the black-haired boy. When I looked around, I couldn't see anyone. I looked at the other message he had given me. I had to meet one of their agents, but they weren't here.

"Hey, you!" A girl's voice rang out from somewhere nearby.

"Wh-Who's there?!" I shouted. I tried to sound confident, but, unfortunately, my Chords of Steel decided not to work anymore.

"This is a restricted area… It's been reserved!"

"R-Reserved…?"

"Yeah, I've been ordered to meet someone here! Now, I'll have to ask you to leave immediately!"

"W-Wait! Do these messages look familiar to you?" I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out one of the red cards. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

"O-Oh!" She came closer. "I… I'm sorry about that. I didn't know you were the person receiving the messages! Um… let's start over."

I stuck my hand out, and she shook it. "I'm Apollo. Apollo Justice. It's nice to meet you."

She smiled. "I'm Haru. Haru Okumura. It's nice to meet you as well."

"Alright, let's cut to the chase," I said. "Why did you call me here?"

She looked offended. "I didn't _call_ you here! Joker told me about this suddenly. I didn't have enough time to prepare!"

I sighed. "Okay, let me rephrase that. What did you want to tell me?"

"I… The group I'm a part of… We need more members."

"So… the reason you called me here… was to _enlist_ me into this… corporation?"

She slowly nodded. "Pretty much. Actually… wait. Before I tell you about our agency, promise me… you won't tell anyone about this."

I nodded. "I promise."

"We need agents." She stared at me.

"A-Agents?!" I shouted. "I thought you wanted legal assistance! I didn't know you wanted me to become a spy!"

"You know what?" She giggled. "You're not very good at keeping a low profile, are you? Part of being a spy is to… stay hidden. I think you'd get all of us in big trouble."

"Yeah… My voice is naturally loud. I'm an attorney, you know? It's _supposed_ to be loud."

"Okay, and—Wait, what's that?" She pointed to the bracelet.

"It's a bracelet." I showed it to her. "Whenever someone gets nervous, they have a nervous habit that gives them away. My bracelet reacts whenever someone tenses up, and I find that person's habit and get the truth out of them!"

"Alright… Come visit us soon."

"Sure… but, where do you live? I mean, where is this agency?"

She handed me a small device. "Tokyo. I'll see you later."

"T-Tokyo?!" I shouted. "That's on the other side of the world!"

"I know it is." She smiled. "But I'm sure you'll reach there eventually!"

Suddenly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small mask. It reminded me of the one that Joker was wearing. When she put it on, a massive flame engulfed her. She had a wall of fire behind her, and a long, silky cape. She jumped into the air, and disappeared. The temperature increased by about 50 degrees and dropped the second she vanished. There were several clouds of smoke after the flames disappeared.

As I was about to turn around, a red note hit the ground. Before it could get too soggy, I picked it up. I frantically tried to decipher the message, but I'm pretty sure you can guess what happened. Pen ink and rainwater don't go well together. It looked like someone had spilled a bottle of India Ink all over the paper. I could only make out one word: _Phantom_.


	14. The Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Apollo Justice, Trials and Tribulations, and Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, Proceed at your own risk... Beware of those spoilers.

I walked through the rain back to Layton's study. I tried to contemplate what Haru had told me. The agency she worked for needs agents, and that they were stationed in Tokyo. The hardest part wasn't remembering what she said. It was explaining it to the other members of the Wright Anything Agency.

When I entered, Trucy hugged me. I hugged her back.

"Are you okay, Polly?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"Your clothes are all burnt!"

"Huh?" I looked at my shirt. It was covered in smoke. "Oh…"

Athena yawned. "I'm exhausted now… What time is it?"

Layton checked his watch. "It's getting close to eleven o'clock right now. We should probably go to sleep soon. Tomorrow, we shall leave and travel to a different country. Now… what shall we do to pass the time?"

I tried to remember the dream about Mia. She had said something about a "present", and how she would give it to me after the trial was over. I looked at the soggy note again. It was now completely drenched and covered in ink.

"Oh, I forgot to ask," Phoenix said. "Maya, how's Pearls doing?"

"She's fine," Maya replied. "She recently traveled to Japan… for spirit channeling purposes, of course. Pearly has been keeping Kurain Village in good condition, but… we had to hire someone else to watch it for her for the time being."

"Who is this person?" Phoenix asked.

Suddenly, Maya froze. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. I felt my bracelet slightly vibrating. I couldn't believe what I was feeling… Maya Fey… hiding something. It was my job to reveal the truth (not really my job, but I felt like doing it anyway).

"Maya," I said.

She jumped back. "Wh-What? What is it, Apollo?"

"I know you're hiding something!" I touched my bracelet.

"Wh-What?" She glared at me. "I'm NOT h-hiding a-anything!"

"For someone not hiding anything, you're acting strangely nervous!" I smirked. "I know you're hiding something! And I'm going to find out what!"

While Maya was glaring at me, I looked around, trying to find her nervous tic. After about ten seconds, I found it. It was pretty obvious.

"Gotcha!" I shouted. "Maya, you can't hide anything from me."

"What are you talking about, Apollo?!" She was furious. "I… AM… NOT… HIDING… ANYTHING!"

"You claim you aren't hiding anything," I said, "but you were acting nervous."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" She started sweating.

"When you claim you didn't hide anything, I noticed something strange you started doing. You started tightening your grip on your magatama."

"O-Oh!" She started sadly at the ground. "Y-You got me, Apollo…"

"Good." I cleared my throat. "Now, who is this person in charge of watching over Kurain Village?"

"I… I…" Maya looked like she was struggling to say something.

"Yes? Yes? Who is it?" I asked.

"Iris… Iris Hawthorne…" Maya looked at the ground.

"Wh-What?!" Phoenix shot up. "Iris Hawthorne?! I thought she had been incarcerated!"

"She was sentenced to six months of prison, but she was released after that." Maya pulled out her phone and opened a news app. She typed in Iris' name and showed the top result to Phoenix. Phoenix began reading the headline.

Acolyte at Hazakura Temple Sentenced to Six Months of Prison.

Phoenix turned to Maya. "Why was she arrested?"

"You don't remember, Nick? She tampered with the crime scene! She moved the body of… of… of my…" Maya started tearing up. "My mother…"

Phoenix hugged her. "It'll be alright, Maya… She'll always be there for you… watching over you…"

"I remember that case…" I rubbed my chin. "The case involving Dusky Bridge."

"Exactly…" Phoenix sighed.

"I also remember Mister Edgeworth defending your client…"

"Wh-What?!" Athena grabbed me. "M-Mister Edgeworth was a… a defense attorney?!"

"Just that once, Athena," Phoenix said. "He took over my position as an attorney, because…"

"Because you fell off a burning bridge trying to save Maya," I said.

Phoenix grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, something like that…"

I decided to change the subject. "So, Espella, was it? Where are you from?"

She started reading her book. "I'm from Labyrinthia."

"Labyrinthia…? Is that, like, a city in Europe, or something?"

She sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth."

I shook my head. "Of course I'll believe you… Just tell me."

"Labyrinthia is a small town," Espella said. "But it's not an ordinary town. It is located in a world separate from yours. It is in a different dimension."

I remembered something. "Wait… When I told you about the witches, you panicked. Are the witches coming to our world from Labyrinthia?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. There is a very simple way to travel to Labyrinthia and back."

"What do you use, then? Some kind of portal gun?"

"No, not a portal gun. A portal, yes. The portal is the very book I am holding right now."

I was shocked. "Wh-What?! No way!"

* * *

Espella dropped the book, and the pages began flipping, revealing a single colored picture in the middle of it. It looked like a medieval town—houses made out of wood and straw, horse-drawn carriages, armored people with swords… I picked up the book and continued skimming through its contents. Most of the pages were blank. Right when I was about to reach the end of the empty book, a small piece of parchment fell out. There was a message that was hastily scribbled.

"Espella…?" I picked up the note and handed it to her. "Do you know anything about this message?"

"Huh?" She looked confused. "What message… AAHHH!"

"H-Huh?! What happened?!"

"It's signed… Inquisitor Barnham!"

Luke jumped up. "Inquisitor Barnham? Like, the prosecutor in Labyrinthia?"

Phoenix tried to look at the paper. "That's the only logical conclusion, unless… Espella, are the Labyrinthian witches powerful enough to take over the whole town?"

She shuddered. "Y-Yes… Fortunately, they haven't gotten their hands on the Grand Grimoire… If they did, it would spell chaos across all of Labyrinthia. I pray that Inquisitor Barnham can survive the attack…"

Ahlbi spoke up. "Er… about this… Grand Grimoire thing… may I look at it?"

"Sure, um… Ahlbi…" She reached into her bag and pulled out a separate book. She handed it to him.

"What are these… strange words?" Ahlbi turned the book around and showed her. "It's not Khura'inese or English…"

"Those are spells. They are very common in Labyrinthia. Fortunately, I grabbed this book before I escaped… I thought they would be contained in Labyrinthia. But now, they've spread out into… wherever it was."

"If I remember correctly, it was into Eastern Asia. You know, like, China, Korea, and Japan?"

"We'll talk more tomorrow," Layton said. "We should get some rest now. It is past eleven now."

"I don't feel tired, though," Maya complained. "You can't make me!"

"I know I can't." Layton smiled. "That's now what a gentleman would do."

"I know what to do!" Espella smiled. "Ahlbi, may I have the book back?"

Ahlbi handed it over to her, and Espella took a deep breath. She flipped to one part of the book, and suddenly shouted, "Fainfol!" After that, everything went dark.

I ended up in a dark space. I slowly stood up and tried to figure out where I was. It took my eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness. When I could see everything, I recognized where I was. Not really, but it looked like a type of law firm. I jumped when I heard the sound of some kind of machine running. I ran behind a giant potted plant and ducked down. A few moments later, a few red lights appeared. There was also a loud slurping noise, like someone drinking something. The air was filled with the scent of coffee. I heard a door slam shut, and a woman walked inside. I recognized her immediately—Mia Fey.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm just looking around." The man had a deep voice, and was wearing a suit and tie. "Is there a problem with that?" There was another sipping noise.

"This is a private law firm." She looked at him sternly. "If you don't leave immediately…"

"No need for insults… Kitten…" The man smirked.

"K-Kitten? The only person who called me that… was… D-Diego?"

The man sipped his drink again. I realized he was drinking coffee. "No… that is no longer my name. My name is Godot… professional prosecutor."

Mia looked at him. "You can't fool me… I know it's you."

The man turned away. "The Diego Armando you know… is gone. I no longer go by that name… Not since… Since I found out about your… death."

Mia began to tear up. "No… You'll always be the same person. No matter what, you're still the same to me."

Something red oozed out from behind Diego's mask. "B-But… That crime… That crime I committed all those years ago…"

Mia shook her head. "You tried to protect my sister. And she's the one who matters most to me."

"I… I tried to kill Dahlia Hawthorne… And in doing so, I took your mother's life… I know I protected Maya… but I couldn't protect Misty…"

Mia covered his mouth. "Shhh… Everything will be alright… Mother would be proud of you, Diego..." She grabbed his mask. "Let me see your face."

Mia removed his mask, and the red lights disappeared. The man had white eyebrows, and his eyes were bloodshot. Mia smiled, still tearing up, and kissed him. I tried to move, but ended up falling over, revealing my location. Mia noticed me and blushed.

"A-Apollo?!" She looked shocked. "Wh-Wh-What are you doing here?"

"I… I don't know how I ended up here!"

"Were you… Were you eavesdropping?!" She glared at me.

"I was hiding." I scratched my head. "I was trying to stay out of view. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop…"

"Hello there," the man said. He sipped his coffee. "What's your name?"

"Er… Apollo Justice, sir. And who are you?"

He took another sip of his coffee. "My name is Diego Armando… I am also known as Godot. I am a former defense attorney and prosecutor."

"You were a defense attorney?!" I shouted. "S-Sorry… it's just that… you said you were a prosecutor earlier, and I just got confused…"

"Well, I was a defense attorney, up until that event happened." He sadly drank the coffee out of his mug. "I was questioning a student at Ivy University. I was questioning her about a crime she was accused of. When I wasn't looking, she slipped some lethal poison into my coffee. When I consumed it, I nearly died. I was in a coma for five years after that. Once I finally woke up, I heard news that my Kitten had died."

"Your… kitten?" I was confused. "You mean… a literal kitten?"

"No," he said. "I was talking about Mia." He smirked at her, and she blushed.

Before Diego could say anything else, Mia quickly spoke up. "I just remembered something! I promised to give you something, Apollo!"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that… What is it?"

She handed me a small box. "Open this box later. I wish you luck, Apollo."

"Thank you, Mia!" I hugged her.

"You're very welcome." She smiled. "Now… goodbye."

* * *

The vision changed again. I saw Clay again, reading a pamphlet from a space museum. I felt relief when I saw him again… It had been quite a while.

"Clay!" I shouted.

"Huh?!" He glared. "Oh, hey, Apollo!"

I smiled. "We did it! We got an acquittal!"

He smiled back. "Great job! I knew you could do it! I always believed in you, Apollo… Huh? What's with the box?"

"Someone gave it to me." I looked at him. "They told me to open it later. But the suspense is killing me. I wonder if I should open it now."

"Don't." Clay's voice became stern. "You don't wanna mess with spirits. They can smite you, or put a curse on you, or…"

"Okay, I get it, I get it…" I put the box in my pocket. "Well, I'll see you later, Clay."

"Goodbye, Apollo. I hope we meet up again sometime soon."

I jerked awake. I quickly reached into my pocket, believing it was all a dream. I felt something hard inside of it. I realized it was the box and quickly pulled it out. I slowly opened the box, and felt the inside of it. There was a rough, rocky object inside of it. I slowly pulled the rough stone out of the container. I quickly felt around the floor for Espella's magical book and walked outside. The rain had stopped, but the ground was still wet. It was extremely humid, and it was extremely uncomfortable. The only light source was coming from a small lantern outside the Professor's study. However, it was still too dark.

I flipped open the book. I took a deep breath and whispered one of the spells. "Ignaize."

For a second nothing happened. The next second, a small spark appeared, and I nearly tumbled down the stairway in surprise. I decided to try again.

"IGNAIZE!" I bellowed.

This time, a campfire-size flame appeared. I could see the object in the box clearly. It looked like a rock covered in green moss and algae. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a…

"A magatama," I whispered. I slipped it into my pocket and walked back inside the study. I slowly walked back to the area I was sleeping in earlier and fell asleep again.


	15. The Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are spoilers for Ace Attorney: Justice For All ahead... Beware of those spoilers...

I woke up to the sound of an alarm clock ringing. Everyone around me was starting to wake up, and I realized I was still clutching the magatama in my hands. I tried to sneak it back into my pocket, but before I could, Maya noticed it. She went from being groggy to being hyper.

"H-Hey!" Maya glared. Her cheeks puffed up. "Give it back! That's so cruel, Apollo!"

I backed away. "I didn't steal this, I swear! Someone gave it to me!"

Maya glared even more. "You can't trick me, Apollo! The only people that have magatamas like that one are my relatives!"

I groaned. "If I told you how I received it, you wouldn't believe me."

"Of course I'll believe you! Just tell me the truth already!"

"Mia… Mia gave it to me… As a present." I looked down. "I'm telling the truth…"

Phoenix nodded. "I can tell. I'm not seeing any Psyche-Locks."

Rayfa groaned. "Urrghh… What time is it?"

Layton smiled. "It's about 8:00 in the morning right now."

Rayfa glared. "I hate these time zones! They're so… weird! In Khura'in, it would be about midnight! Back in the United States, I could barely sleep… The time zone is so messed up there!"

I slowly stood up. "Alright, so… what country are we traveling to?"

Phoenix checked his phone. "We're heading to Germany. I think Edgeworth's finished with his case by now. He's the Chief Prosecutor back in America, so he's got a lot on his conscience. As if the cases back home weren't bad enough, he's started receiving requests to defend clients in foreign nations." There was a familiar theme. It was a catchy theme song. It sounded like it was from some kind of action show.

Maya smiled brightly. "Nick, you still have the Steel Samurai ringtone? Awww…!"

Phoenix lightly blushed. "Yes, I know. I haven't forgotten about your obsession with the Steel Samurai…"

Maya glared. "Not cool, Nick! It's NOT an obsession! It's just that…" She looked at the ceiling. "How to put it… Oh yeah!" She smiled. "The Steel Samurai is so amazing… He's like… He's just like the Plumed Punisher!"

Phoenix cut her off. "Hang on, Maya. I need to take this call." He looked at the screen and froze.

"What's wrong, Mister Wright?" Layton asked. "Are you alright?"

"It… It's from Edgeworth!" Phoenix stared in disbelief. "I thought… I wonder why he's calling!"

Normally, I wouldn't have been able to hear anything, but Edgeworth was practically screaming into his cell phone.

"WRIGHT!" he bellowed, causing Phoenix to drop his cell phone in surprise. "COME TO GERMANY! QUICKLY!"

Phoenix responded by shouting back. "WE CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE, EDGEWORTH! WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?!"

"SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS HAPPENING!" Edgeworth was breathing heavily. "UNKNOWN LIFE FORMS HAVE INVADED THE COUNTRY! THERE'S NO DOUBT THEY'VE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CONTINENT! BY THE WAY, THERE'S SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!"

"Franziska?!" Phoenix yelled.

"NO, NOT FRANZISKA! I MEAN, FRANZISKA IS HERE, IF YOU _WANT_ TO TALK TO HER!"

Phoenix gulped. "Er… No, no! That's really not necessary! Who's this person who wants to talk to me?"

The sound died out. For a few seconds, nothing happened. A moment later, there was another loud noise. It sounded like a whip hitting the concrete.

"Franziska?!" Phoenix shouted. "Is that you?!"

"What?! NO!" It was a lady. "This is NOT Franziska!"

"Who is this?!" Phoenix roared.

"I'm Kay! Kay Faraday!" She was panting and gasping. "I worked with your friend, Mister Edgeworth, years ago! He requested my services, which is why I came here!"

 **FEBRUARY 2ND, 2029** — **10:00 AM**

 **HEATHROW AIRPORT** — **ENTRANCE**

Phoenix dialed a number. He started muttering something under his breath. "Come on, Edgeworth. Pick up. PICK UP!"

There was no response. Flustered, Phoenix called him back again, but to no avail. The phone call ended with Phoenix leaving a voicemail.

"What do we do?!" Maya shouted. "Is Edgeworth safe?"

Phoenix started sweating. "What are you yelling at me for?! It's not MY fault!"

Athena intervened. "Well, judging by the fact that he didn't pick up his phone, he is probably in a lot of danger right now."

"Either that," Ahlbi said. "Or he dropped his cell phone while he was retreating."

Suddenly, the phone started to ring again. Phoenix opened his flip phone and answered it.

"Hello, Mister Wright." There was a sinister voice. It was very high pitched.

"What the… Who is this?!" Phoenix looked like he was about to snap his phone in half. "What's going on?! Where's Edgeworth?!"

"Oh, are you talking about that cravat-wearing nimrod?" The voice laughed. "Don't worry about him. He's PERFECTLY fine."

Phoenix growled. "That's what they always say. Now, listen here. TELL ME WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW OR I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

The voice laughed. "Oh, you can't kill me. You probably won't even find me. But, threaten me any more, and I'll murder your friend. Oh, here's a suggestion. Why don't you come to Berlin? You know, we could negotiate, make a deal, that kind of stuff?"

"Negotiate…? Wait a minute! You're holding them hostage, aren't you?!" Phoenix started roaring in anger.

"Oh, how quick you are to jump to conclusions, Mister Wright." The voice laughed creepily again. "I'd expect nothing left from a… What does it say here? _Defense Attorney_. Yeah! A defense attorney!"

"Well, you haven't introduced yourself to me yet!" Phoenix pleaded. "Tell us your name, and we'll, er, reluctantly negotiate."

"Reluctantly?! You can't be negotiating with _that_ attitude!"

"Okay, OKAY!" Phoenix tried to make a sarcastic voice. "We'll be _happy_ to negotiate with you!"

"I'm detecting a lot of sarcasm… but, very well! You have chosen to negotiate, and I respect your decision! My name is King Boo. I have entered your world from the mysterious world of Evershade Valley."

"Well, where do you want us to meet you?"

"Actually," King Boo started, before being interrupted by another person. "Uh… what? What do you mean you don't know where the paintings went?! You ignoramus! I _knew_ I shouldn't have hired you! Your resume was so sloppy!"

"Wait!" Athena shouted. "What painting?!"

King Boo suddenly gasped. "Er… n-nothing! I-I didn't say anything about a painting! Th-That would be ridiculous!"

"Yeah, right." Athena sighed. "Whatever. Where did you want to meet up?"

"Let's meet up in Paris, alright? And, if you don't arrive at the time we agree upon, I unfortunately will not be able to hand over your friends to you."

"Right," Phoenix sighed. "How much is the ransom?"

"What ransom?" King Boo sounded confused.

"Um… normally when you kidnap somebody, you request something… Like an exchange for the hostage…"

King Boo laughed again. "Oh, that's what you meant. For you, my friend, there will _be_ no ransom. I'll release your friends once we meet up in Paris. You'll be able to see your precious friends again in a few hours… Er, where are you exactly?"

"Heathrow Airport." Phoenix could tell King Boo couldn't understand anything. "Sorry, you were asking for the country. We're currently in the United Kingdom. In England."

"Ah, England!" King Boo snickered. "That isn't too far away from… _France_ … Well, let's just talk again once we reach the city."

"Alright," Phoenix said. "We'll call you back later." He hung up.

I felt my phone vibrating. When I pulled it out, I noticed a message from an old friend. Not really sure he can be considered a friend, he's more of an associate than a friend.

_What is happening, Herr Forehead!? We've been invaded! SOS, Prosecutor Edgeworth is being held hostage!_

I walked away from everyone and texted him back. _Do you know what the invaders are?_

_Nein, I couldn't get a good look. I saw a bunch of vibrant colors, though. There were… weird figures floating around through Berlin._

_Weird figures? That's a little vague._

_Ja, I know. The figures… you probably would laugh at this… They were ghosts. There were white ghosts that were carrying canvases around. Some of the canvases were filled with drawings, some were not. My brain keeps saying "it's just an illusion", but my eyes… I am almost certain they did not deceive me._

_I'll see you later, Klavier. I don't have much time to talk right now. Come meet us in Paris. That is where we'll be._

_Achtung, Herr Forehead. I do not think anywhere is safe anymore._ _Auf Wiedersehen._

I turned off my phone and walked back.

"Who was that?" Trucy asked.

"Klavier," I responded. "He sent an emergency message. He told me what he thought was invading the city."

"What?" Trucy asked.

"Ghosts." I expected Trucy to laugh, but she was silent. She had a shocked expression on her face.

"Wh-What?!" Trucy glared. "D-Did he really say that?"

I nodded. "That's exactly what he said… Mister Wright, did you manage to make contact with Mister Edgeworth?"

He sighed. "Not yet, Apollo. Whoever is holding him hostage… they obviously don't want him to contact anyone else."

"M-Mister Wright?" Rayfa looked stunned. Datz and Ahlbi were standing next to her. "W-We… We have decided to return to Khura'in… Overseas countries are too dangerous right now… We hope you understand."

Phoenix nodded. "Of course I understand, Rayfa… It'll be fine."

Rayfa, Ahlbi, and Datz headed to the other terminal. I tried to piece everything together… this couldn't have just been a coincidence. Ghosts appearing out of nowhere, Edgeworth's disappearance, King Boo promising to give back Edgeworth without a ransom… It just didn't make sense.

 **FEBRUARY 2ND, 2029** — **10:45 AM**

 **HEATHROW AIRPORT** — **TERMINAL 7**

We sat down at the terminal and waited for our flight to arrive. Athena kept fidgeting with her necklace, Phoenix kept on muttering under his breath about Edgeworth, and I kept checking my phone to see if I had received any new messages from Klavier. I heard heavy footsteps and heavy breathing. I chose not to look up. The person stopped in front of us.

"M-Mystic Maya?"

Maya looked up and saw a girl wearing pinkish robes and a magatama around her neck. Maya smiled brightly. "Oh, hi, Pearly! What are you doing here?"

"I thought you received my messages," Pearl said. "I finished my training about five or six days ago…"

"What about Kurain Village?" Maya asked.

"Sister Iris is still watching the village."

"Wh-What happened?" Pearl looked worried. "You looked like you had seen a ghost earlier."

"W-We had a call from Edgeworth… He was in danger!" Maya looked like she was going to cry or faint. "We HAVE to save him!"

"What?!" Pearl shouted. She rolled up her sleeve. "Whoever messes with Mister Edgeworth… I'll get revenge!"

"Th-That won't be necessary, Pearl…" I stammered.

Pearl smiled. "O-Oh! Mister Apollo!" She hugged me. "It's been a long time since I've seen you!"

I smiled. "It's great to see you too, Pearl…"

"S-So…" She started jumping up and down. "You're done in Khura'in?! Yay!"

"Y-Yeah, pretty much," I said. "Their legal system is doing much better now."

"That's great!" She frowned. "But… what happened to Mister Edgeworth?"

"He's been kidnapped. His friends as well." I sighed.

"Who was with him?"

Phoenix cut in. "Franziska von Karma and Kay Faraday!"

"Franziska… von Karma…?" She suddenly opened her eyes in shock. "The Whip Lady?!"

Phoenix smiled. "Exactly."

Pearls glared. "I'll never forgive her for what she did to Maya! NEVER!" She calmed herself down. "But who's this… Kay… person?"

"I'm not sure. She claims to be Edgeworth's friend. Well, not exactly a friend, but she did say she worked with him before."

"It… It's like that case all those years ago, Nick!" Maya shouted. "The one with the samurai and the assassin and the acquittal…"

"Yeah…" Phoenix stared out the window at the tarmac. "Let's just hope we'll be able to save Edgeworth before it's too late…"


	16. The Meeting

The flight was rather peaceful, but still, I had butterflies in my stomach. I kept on thinking about Edgeworth, and Klavier, and the others… It was too much to bear. Maya was sitting across from me, and she had it worse. She grabbed onto the armrests very tightly, and hyperventilated. Phoenix kept trying to calm her down, but he couldn't do anything.

Trucy and Athena were sitting next to me. Athena kept fidgeting with her necklace, and Trucy grabbed onto my arm and wouldn't release it. Klavier texted me, but he was very vague and ambiguous. He sent a picture of a crown and a diamond that looked like it had come from Bejeweled. I let out a shaky breath and started panicking.

"Apollo?" Athena asked. "A-Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," I replied. "I-I-I'm fine!"

Athena opened her Mood Matrix. "I'm detecting sadness from you. Or probably fear. It's most likely fear."

I tried calling Klavier. "C-Come on… Come on, pick up!"

There was no response again. I felt like I was going to start having a panic attack. I hugged Trucy to relieve some of my stress, but that didn't help me very much.

**1:30 PM**

**PARIS, FRANCE**

We landed at Paris' larger airport in the north, after about three hours of flight. We gathered our luggage and walked down the ramp into one of the terminals. It was strangely quiet, with maybe a few people talking. Everyone got startled when the Steel Samurai theme started playing. Phoenix quickly opened his cell phone and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Mister… Wright, was it?" I immediately knew it was King Boo. "How was your flight?"

"A bit rough." Phoenix sighed. "Not the most relaxing flight. How was your flight?"

"Turbulence, eh?" King Boo laughed. "Well, thanks for asking about our flight. It was rather smooth, mild turbulence. Anyway, I have made a decision. Meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower on the observation deck. I'll be waiting for you there."

"Alright," Phoenix said. "I'll see you there." He ended the call and put his device in his pocket. "Let's head there right now."

"Right," Espella said. "We'll rescue your friend!"

We took a shuttle from the airport to a bus stop a few blocks away from the tower. We boarded one of the elevators in the tower and rode it to the top floor—the observation deck. The elevator was cramped and the ride was very uncomfortable… It wasn't uncomfortable because it was cramped, but because I have a fear of heights. The walls of the elevator were made of glass, so you had a wonderful view of the city. I felt like I was going to faint… I had never been that high in a building before. A few seconds before the elevator came to a stop, I noticed a white, floating ball.

When the doors opened, we all stepped out and walked over to the ball.

"Ah!" it said. "You've made it at last!"

"Wait a minute," Pearl said. "Are YOU King Boo?"

"Yup, that's me." He smiled. "I have been waiting here for about fifteen minutes. What took you so long?"

"You know humans can't fly, right?" Phoenix said. "You had an unfair advantage there."

"You've got a point there…" King Boo said. "Well, I'll give you your friends back now."

King Boo was holding a small leather sack. He placed it on the ground and reached inside of it. Several smaller versions of him appeared and dove off the side of the building with the speed of a hawk. When they returned, they were holding an empty canvas. King Boo emptied the bag he was holding. When we saw what the bag contained, we were shocked. I didn't recognize two of them, but I noticed the other one immediately.

"M-Mister Edgeworth!" I shouted. He was trapped in one of the canvases.

"N-No!" Pearl shouted. "Wh-What happened… H-How could they…?"

"There!" King Boo said triumphantly. "You have your friends back! Now, if you'll excuse me—"

Phoenix looked like he was about to explode. "Y-You jerk! You promised you would give them back!"

King Boo snickered. "Oh, I didn't break my promise, did I? I gave you your friends. That was all you wanted, if I'm not mistaken. You didn't say not to keep them in their paintings. Pah! I thought you lawyers were wise…"

Phoenix tried to lunge at King Boo, who dodged. Well, he didn't exactly dodge. He flinched a bit, and Phoenix flew right through him, as if he were made of gas. King Boo growled and turned to his minions.

"Minions!" he barked. "Capture them! Capture every one of them!"

"Wh-What?!" Maya shouted. "We didn't do anything! You can't punish us! I'll channel a spirit to defeat you if I have to!"

King Boo sighed angrily. "I tried to be peaceful. You have left me with no choice! BOOS! PUT THEM ALL IN THAT PAINTING!"

"Uh…" One of the Boos looked worried. "S-Sir, this painting isn't big enough to fit everyone… We can only fit two of three at most."

"You fool!" King Boo roared. "If one painting doesn't suffice, you obviously get more! Now, go back to where you got that other painting and grab some more! We shall leave no witnesses!"

The Boos grabbed Luke's arms and pinned them behind his back. Several other ghosts dropped a canvas behind him. Before Luke could say anything, the Professor tried to lunge in front of him. King Boo's crystal began glowing, and a purple blast hit both of them. There was a miniature explosion, and the light died down. When we looked at the painting again, there were two people inside of it.

"NOOOOO!" Espella shouted. She pointed her wand at King Boo. "Bring them back to normal, or I'll use my powers against you!"

King Boo turned around and snatched the wand. Within seconds, he snapped the wand, then proceeded to toss it over the railing and down onto the street. Espella, panicking, picked up the Grand Grimoire and tossed it at King Boo's face. King Boo let out a deafening scream, and started rubbing his eyes.

"GAAAAH!" King Boo's eyes were now red. "Where are you, you witch? I'll make sure I find you and give you the ultimate punishment!"

Espella was still shocked, but she ran over to the elevator door. King Boo noticed her, and yelled at some of his minions to stop her from escaping. Before he could do that, I jumped at King Boo and grabbed his crown. I tumbled on the concrete floor and smashed into the railing, which snapped. I scooted away from the railing and turned around and noticed King Boo rushing toward me. King Boo suddenly became solid and slammed into me. The railing completely broke off, and I barely had enough time to grab onto the side of the building.

King Boo sneered. "Well, well… Look at this… I see what you lawyers are like now. Brutal, violent… I'll make sure I make your death _really_ painless." He picked up his crown, but I pulled myself up over the space where the railing used to be and grabbed the jewel. King Boo tried to grab it, but I flinched and dropped the jewel off the side of the tower. The jewel hit one of the stairways a few stories below and shattered. You could hear the noise from the observation deck. I turned to face King Boo. He was furious.

"YOU PUNK!" he roared. "WITHOUT MY JEWEL, I'M JUST A… A… A GHOST!"

I smirked. I may have been smiling confidently on the outside, but on the inside, I felt like I was going to faint or die. "Well, you can't make your paintings anymore. You also don't have your insane abilities anymore."

"You don't have to rub it in," he growled.

"Well then," I continued smirking. "Let's make this a fair fight, shall we?"

He tried to punch me, but I grabbed his fist. I headbutted him and knocked him backward a few feet. I got up to my feet and began running toward him. He turned around and slapped me in his face with the back of his hand, knocking me back down again. I randomly started clawing at King Boo, and he eventually let out a deafening roar. There was a red mark across his face, and blood was dripping from it. King Boo suddenly stopped moving. He cupped some air in his stubby hands and closed his eyes. Suddenly, an object appeared inside of his hands. There was a purple glow.

"WHAT?!" I shouted. I lunged at him, trying to grab it, but he dodged. I hit the ground and slid several feet.

"Foolish man," King Boo said sadistically. "You thought that was the only jewel? I actually have more than one diamond, you know!"

Two Boos arrived carrying an empty canvas again. I closed my eyes, and braced for impact. Suddenly, the ghosts started to lose control of the canvas. The canvas was levitating, and it started swatting the two of them away. King Boo screamed, and charged at the canvas. It turned around and smacked King Boo right in the nose. King Boo tumbled backward several times, and the canvas snapped from the impact. I turned, and noticed Espella standing near it.

"Espella!" I shouted. "How did you do that?"

Espella shook her head. "That's not me, Apollo! That's my friend!"

"Um…" I stuttered. "I don't mean to sound rude, but is this friend of yours… imaginary?"

I suddenly heard a voice. It sounded like a woman's voice. "I exist."

King Boo rose, and glanced around the scene. "Who's there?!"

"I am…" The person punched King Boo, nearly knocking him out. With the last of his consciousness, King Boo began muttering something, and his jewel/crown began to glow. The floor rumbled violently, and the paintings were blown by a strong gust of wind. I watched in horror as the paintings flew off into the busy city.

"WHAT?!" Phoenix roared. "WH… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I turned around and noticed someone standing behind me. There was a woman with purple hair, black robes and boots, and a small dress. Espella was standing next to her.

"Um… hi," I said, trying to be polite. "I'm Apollo Justice. Wh-Who are you?"

"Eve Belduke," she replied. Her voice was calm, but her tone was stern. "However, this is no time to start a conversation. We must recover those paintings immediately. Let's head off now."

Maya walked over to the painting of Luke and Layton. She sighed sadly, and almost started to tear up. "They… They haven't died, have they?"

Phoenix walked over to her. "N-No, I think they're still alive, Maya…"

Athena picked up the painting. "I'm not sure, Boss… They seem pretty dead to me."

Trucy glared at her. "ATHENA!"

Athena shrugged. "What?! I'm kidding, okay?!"

"This is no time for jokes!" Trucy yelled. "This is serious!"

Eve stepped up. "She's right, Athena. We cannot stay up here any longer. Someone will have to take the painting of Layton and his apprentice away. The rest of us will split up and recover the remaining paintings. If I remember correctly, there are three paintings that have been spread around the city. Let's move."

Espella sighed. "I guess I'll take the painting then." She put it in a small satchel she was carrying. "What should we do about the ghost?"

"Leave his body here," Eve ordered. "He'll disappear eventually."

"How long will it take?" Athena asked.

"Probably somewhere close to an hour," Eve responded.

"A-An hour?!" Athena groaned.

"Yeah, somewhere around there." Eve looked at King Boo's unconscious body. "Nobody will be able to see him, don't worry."

"What, are they gonna look at him and think he's a beach ball or something?" Phoenix looked worried. "I… I'm not sure leaving him here is such a good idea…"

Eve smiled. "Don't worry about that. I have a solution." She cleared her throat. "Dimere!" She then proceeded to walk over to King Boo and touched him lightly. In an instant, he disappeared.

Trucy's eyes widened. "Wh-Whoa! H-How did you do that?! Are you a magician?"

"Not a magician…" She rubbed her chin. "More like a… mage or a wizard."

Maya cleared her throat. "Um… Miss Belduke? Do you think you can free the Professor and Luke?"

Eve turned to Espella. I heard her whisper, "May I have the Grand Grimoire?" Espella handed the book of spells to Eve. Eve started skimming through the entire book. She sighed disappointedly. "Er… I can't actually find anything that would work. Although, we _can_ try using an Ignaize spell on the painting."

"No!" Phoenix said. "Certainly not! We are not going to burn the painting! That would kill them!"

Eve glared and crossed her arms. "Well, do you have a better suggestion? I'm all ears."

I cleared my throat. "Um… shouldn't we be searching for these paintings? You know, the ones that flew off into the city somewhere?"

"Oh, right!" Eve said. "Come on, everybody. Let's head down there."

We walked over to the elevator and went down several stories. Some people climbing the stairs looked at us with strange expressions on their faces, but we chose to just ignore them. When we reached the base of the tower, Eve immediately pulled us to the side of it and we started discussing our strategy.

"Alright," Eve said. "We'll need to split into several groups if we're to recover all of the paintings in time. Apollo and, um, orange-hair girl, we need you to recover the first one."

"Sure," I said, confidently. "Where is it?"

"If I remember correctly, one of the paintings flew off and landed in the Seine."

I tilted my head. "Er… the what?

"The Seine River…"

I froze. "O-Oh no…"

Trucy looked at me strangely. "What's wrong, Apollo?"

"I… er…" I blushed. "I can't actually swim…"

Athena shook her head. "That's too bad, Apollo. We really need you to do this mission."

I glared at her. "Well, why don't you retrieve it then?!"

She smirked. "I have very sensitive equipment! If it got wet, then, well, we won't be able to do any therapy sessions during trials, you know!"

"Athena, I—"

Eve glared. "Alright, break it up, you two! Now, you two will be Group A. Group B will be Maya and Phoenix. Group C will be the girl in the blue costume and the girl with the pink robes… Is everyone all ready?"

We all nodded, and Eve smiled. "Great! Let's retrieve the paintings!"

After the discussion, we walked across the street to the edge of the river. Eve ordered me and Athena to fetch the first painting. She followed the others as they crossed the bridge and eventually disappeared in the busy streets.

"So…" I said. "What should we do?"

"I have an idea, Apollo!" Athena said, smiling brightly. "You can dive into the river! Then, you swim down to the bottom and find the painting and bring it back to the surface!"

"I don't know how deep the Seine River actually is!" I took a shaky breath, and slowly approached the edge of the dock. "Alright…"

"Come on, Apollo!" Athena yelled. "You're taking too long!"

Then, without warning, she charged at me. I was bumped several feet forward and landed in the water. Normally, landing on water is supposed to be painless, but it felt like I had been shot when I hit the surface.

I was barely staying afloat, and I managed to shout, "NOT COOL, ATHENA! I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!" When I couldn't stay afloat any longer, I decided to try diving underwater. I was underwater for about fifteen seconds when I noticed something on the murky bottom of the river. I was certain it was the painting. I grabbed onto one end of the painting and attempted to lift it out of the water. It wouldn't budge. Apparently, it had gotten stuck in something on the bottom, and I couldn't figure out what it was. I used the remainder of my strength tugging on the painting, and it eventually popped out. I tried to swim up to the surface, but my vision started getting blurry. I lost my grip on the painting, and watched it float to the surface as the world around me turned dark.


	17. Nohr and Hoshido

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR FIRE EMBLEM FATES - REVELATION AHEAD.

When I came to, I found myself lying on a soft bed. My head was throbbing and my lungs felt like they were about to explode, but other than that, I felt alright. I looked above me and saw two people staring at me. They both had red hair, and were both armed. One of them held a staff, while the other held a small dagger. One girl was shorter, and the other was much taller. I tried to speak, but my throat started burning. I let out a loud groaning noise instead. It was rather hard to breathe, and my vision was still a little blurry. I sat up, and looked around me.

It looked like I was in a hospital, but it didn't look like a modern hospital. The walls were made out of moss-covered stone, and the ceiling appeared to be made out of wood. I appeared to be the only patient in the building at the time.

The shorter girl said something softly. "Um, c-can I try talking to him?"

The taller girl replied quietly. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. He doesn't appear to be able to talk right now. Maybe you could give him some hot tea… or you could use your staff again."

The shorter one nodded and dashed off to the other side of the room, and started a small fireplace-size fire. She filled a tea kettle with water and placed it over the fire. The taller girl just continued watching me. A few minutes later, the smaller girl returned with a small cup. She placed it in front of me, and I took a small sip. The tea made my throat feel much better, and it also allowed me to properly speak.

"Wh-What happened? Wh-Where am I? Who are you?" I had so many questions.

"We can save the introductions for later." The taller girl looked at me with a serious expression. "To answer your first question, you drowned in a river."

"So, I'm dead then. Is that it?"

"I wasn't finished." She scowled. "Anyway, a friend of mine saved you. She took you to this land… If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be alive right now."

"Where am I though?"

"Hoshido. You're in the kingdom of Hoshido right now."

"Hoshido…" (Wait a minute! Didn't Ryoma say something about Hoshido? About how he was… some kind of royalty?) "D-Do you happen to know anyone named Ryoma?"

The taller girl jumped. "Y-You know Ryoma?"

"Yeah," I said. "Is he a friend of yours or something?"

She shook her head. "No, he's my brother."

"O-Oh, I see." I sighed. I didn't want to break the news to her about what had happened to her brother…

The taller girl stared at me. "You seem troubled. Is something the matter?"

I decided not to tell her. I forced a smile. "N-No, nothing's wrong…!"

"You're acting _very_ strange…" She continued staring. "Is there something you want to say? You're acting like you're hiding something. Tell me what you want to say."

I swallowed. "Well… I met Ryoma earlier… in the other world. The world I came from."

She nodded. "And then what happened?"

I looked down and took another small sip of the tea. The shorter girl picked up the half-full teacup and slowly backed away. I found myself unable to speak clearly. I said, "R-Ryoma… he… he won't be coming back anytime soon."

"Wh-What?" The smaller girl dropped the teacup, and it shattered. The tea splashed everywhere, drenching all of us.

The taller girl pulled out a dagger from her pocket, and pressed it against my neck. Her eyes had become red. "What did you do…" Her voice was soft, and then it became louder. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

I choked. "I didn't do anything…!"

"YOU LIAR!" she yelled. "I _knew_ we shouldn't have rescued you! Y-You… You're nothing but a murderer!"

Another person ran inside. "What's wrong? I could hear you screaming from outside!"

The taller girl pressed her knife against my neck harder. "He… He _murdered_ our brother!"

The person who had entered was a man with whitish hair. He had a symbol that looked like a dragon wing on his face, and he was wearing metal armor. His hair was a bit messy, and he was very tall. Without warning, he pulled out his blade and pointed it at me.

"A-AAAGGHH!" I yelled. I jumped back and hit my head against the wall. "Ow…"

"Well?!" The man slowly walked closer to me, still holding his weapon like a lance. "You murdered him, didn't you?"

"N-No, I didn't!" I curled up on the bed. "I… I really didn't!"

"B-Big Brother…" the smaller girl said. "I don't think he's lying. Just look at the state he's in right now. He's very shaken up. I don't think he was the murderer…"

The taller girl still held out her dagger. "Shall I cut him, Brother?"

The man threw his blade aside. "Don't do it."

"What?!" she roared. "Why not?!"

"We don't know for sure if he's the killer or not." He looked at her sternly. "Besides, we don't randomly murder people. That's not the Hoshidan way."

I slowly slid to the edge of the bed. When there was an opening, I tried to dash toward the exit. Just as I was about to leave the building, someone grabbed me from behind.

"Going somewhere?" The person had a sinister voice. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me back. I hit the ground, and everyone came to look at me.

"H-How did you…" I choked. "Where did you come from?"

"Heh, did I surprise you?" He laughed. "This is how I sneak up on my targets. At least, how I _used_ to."

"What are you, a ninja? You snuck up so… professionally."

"How did you know?" Then, he nodded. "Yup. I actually am a ninja. That's how I was able to sneak up on you like that."

"W-Wait…" I said, changing the subject. "Who are you people?"

"We'll take you to the castle," the taller girl said. "And don't even think about escaping! Or else… I'll cut you!"

I shuddered. "A-Alright then…"

She smiled. "Very well. Let's head back to the castle."

* * *

The five of us exited the hospital and began our journey to the castle. We walked across acres of field before we finally reached the entrance to the castle. There were two soldiers standing guard near the doors, holding spears. You really didn't want to mess with them. The taller girl spoke with one of the guards, and he nodded and allowed us to pass through. We walked through the field and entered the main hall of the building. We were guided to the throne room. Surprisingly, there was nobody sitting on the throne.

"Why is there nobody here?" I whispered to the taller girl.

"Our Mother was the queen of Hoshido. After she was killed, Ryoma was to take over and guide this kingdom to peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, you murdered him." She pressed her knife against me again.

"I told you!" I shouted. "I didn't murder him!"

The ninja pulled out his shuriken. "You murdered the heir to the throne?! I'll execute you right here!"

I panicked and did something extremely rash. I grabbed his shuriken out of his hands. He was caught off guard, and he lost his grip on it. I tried to exit the building again, but the taller girl grabbed me before I could even move. She put her arms around my neck and began to strangle me. I could hardly breathe, and I tried to think. I tried calling on the spirit of the victim. But nothing happened.

"Release him."

The girl's grip on my neck loosened, and I fell to the floor, gasping. I turned around and noticed another man who had entered the building. He was wearing black and maroon armor. He had a sword on the side of his body, and he had blond hair. He walked over to us.

"I'll take him in for questioning." He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the throne room and into another part of the castle. The room we entered felt like a detention center, only with me being the accused. The room was mossy and dimly lit, with only a few candles hanging from the walls. The man walked in front of me. He had another girl with him.

"What's your name?" he asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm Apollo Justice, uh, sir," I stuttered. "And I am a defense attorney."

"A… defense attorney?" He stared at me. "What does that mean?"

"I defend people in court… sir. Um, you _do_ have a court here, right?"

"No, I don't think so." He became stern suddenly. "Alright, back to the point. What did you do to Ryoma?"

"I… I didn't do anything!" I shouted. "I… Someone else killed him! I had to defend a client who was accused of the murder! We found the true culprit! I didn't commit the crime!"

The girl suddenly asked me, "What's that?"

"What's what? This?" I showed her my attorney's badge, and she nodded. "That's my attorney's badge. It signifies that I'm an… attorney."

"Hmmm…" The man nodded. "That is all. I'll let you back in the other room."

"Already?" I asked, dumbfounded.

He nodded, and I exited the room. He and the other girl guided me back to the throne room. As soon as I entered the room, the taller girl pulled out her blade again. She was about to press it against me when the blond-hair man stopped her.

"Don't do it," he said sternly.

"Fine, I won't." She pocketed her knife. "Well, what happened? The questioning ended rather quickly."

"He… He wasn't the murderer." The man sighed. "It doesn't seem like he did anything wrong."

The white-hair man pulled out his blade. "Everyone! Stay back! He's a mage! He'll curse all of us! He put some kind of hypnosis spell on him!"

"I… I did no such thing!" I bellowed. I was really using my Chords of Steel now. "Just take me back to the real world! I can't take this anymore!" I fell backward, and hit my head on the ground.

Without warning, he swung his sword around and put the tip of it into my sleeve. I tried to move, but I couldn't. The blade appeared to be holding me down. I couldn't control my emotions. I began to sob uncontrollably, and just stared at the ceiling.

The shorter girl glared at her brother. "C-Cut it out, Big Brother! Just look at him! He's clearly troubled about something! This isn't the Hoshidan way!"

"You're right…" He walked over to his blade and pulled it out of the ground. I was still lying on the ground, trying to comprehend what happened.

"S-so… Do you believe me now?" I stuttered.

"We don't have a choice," the white-hair man said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll take over from here." The ninja stepped in. "A few months ago, Hoshido and Nohr forged an alliance. We are united as one now… There were two leaders of our united nation. Prince Xander of Nohr, and Prince Ryoma of Hoshido. Unfortunately, Ryoma was… killed earlier. But we trust you…"

The taller girl blurted in. "Oh! That reminds me! If you're lying to us, I'll use my knife!"

I glared. "What's with you and trying to cut people?!"

The shorter girl walked up to me. "H-Hi there… Can you introduce yourself to us?"

"Oh, um, right," I stumbled. "Er… I'm Apollo Justice, a defense attorney! So, uh, who are you guys?

The shorter girl introduced herself first. "I'm Sakura, and I am a healer."

The taller girl went next. "Hinoka."

"I'm Corrin," the white-hair man said.

The ninja smiled slyly. "I'm Kaze, a ninja…"

The blond man cleared his throat. "My name is Xander, former prince of Nohr."

The smaller girl next to him smiled brightly. I felt my face burn a little. "I'm Elise!"

I blushed and smiled. "Er… it's very nice meeting all of you!" I regained my composure. "But, seriously, what's going on?"

Kaze stared at me. "There's a problem. Our two kingdoms have been under attack as of recently. A few days after our kingdoms united, mysterious forces have been invading our fields and villages."

Corrin spoke up. "Like the Faceless. Just a lot more powerful."

"Right, just like the Faceless. Now, we cannot stay in our land much longer. The attackers are sending more soldiers into our realm, and our kingdom is on the brink of collapse. We were extremely shaken up by this, as you would expect. When we heard about the existence of other worlds from our soldiers, we were relieved."

Hinoka stared at me, too. "Please. Take us to your world."

I shrugged. "I don't know how. I don't have a Portal Gun or anything."

Elise's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Apollo! Use a Dragon Vein! _Create_ a portal!"

"A what?" I groaned. "Look, I don't have any magical skills!"

Elise glared. "What?! Who doesn't know what a Dragon Vein is?! You should be ashamed!"

"Now, now, Elise," Corrin said. "Our friend is not from here…"

"Wait a minute." I stared at him, confused. "You were just trying to murder me a few minutes ago. All of a sudden, I'm your friend?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Corrin said sadly. "Now… You don't have any special abilities, do you?"

"Well—" I showed them my bracelet.

"Is that a… bracelet?" Kaze asked.

"Er, yes, but it's more than just a bracelet!" I touched it. "Whenever someone tenses up during a trial, my bracelet reacts. I can find their nervous tic and pull the truth out of them."

"I see." Corrin sighed. "That's very interesting, but we need some sort of unique ability related to dimension traveling."

Hinoka's eyes lit up. "Wait! That's it!"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Corrin, you could use your strength to open up a portal, and Apollo can think of a location in the world he has come from! We'll be able to open another portal somewhere in that city."

"I don't know if—" Corrin looked worried.

Hinoka smiled. "I'm sure it will work, don't worry."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," Corrin said, smiling. "Alright, Apollo. I'll open up the portal, and you'll need to name a village in your world that you would like to travel to."

"Uh, okay." I closed my eyes and concentrated. I had to make a major decision. I could either return to Paris and reunite with my friends, or I could travel to Tokyo and visit the spy agency they were talking about. "I… I've made my decision."

"I see." Corrin stared down. "Where would you like to go?"

"Paris."

Corrin closed his eyes and was enveloped in a bright green flame. He put his hands together and began concentrating. A few seconds later, he unleashed a small fireball, which zoomed over my head. One of my "horns" caught on fire and I frantically tried to extinguish it. When I finished panicking, I turned around and noticed a bright blue portal.

"Wh-What…" I stuttered. "H-How did you?"

Xander smiled. "Amazing, isn't it? Corrin is one of the only people who can use Dragon Veins like this."

Elise started jumping. "Is your world nice?"

I froze. "Er… that would depend on your definition of nice."

She tilted her head. "Is your world… peaceful?"

I laughed nervously. "Uh, it's actually _far_ from peaceful."

Elise looked shocked. "What do you mean it's not peaceful?! I thought your world was nice! Wait… do you have an army there?"

I nodded. "We have many armies, and they're stationed all across the world. We're all prepared to fight, no matter what!"

Hinoka smiled. "What kind of soldiers do you use? Pegasi riders? Knights? Mages?"

"No, we don't use those types of units. We use things like jet fighters and guns."

Hinoka looked confused. "What are… guns?"

"You… don't use guns here?" I asked, and she nodded. I sighed. "Well, they come in different shapes and sizes. You would insert a magazine, that's the place where all of the bullets are stored. You would put the magazine into the gun, load the weapon, and pull the trigger. Guns operate differently, some rapidly shoot, others require multiple trigger presses…"

"What about the jet fighters?"

I rubbed my chin. "We've been using jet fighters for decades. We changed the design of our planes after World War II. Now, they're loaded with bombs and missiles, and they're really powerful. But the world is in danger."

"What do you mean?" Sakura looked nervous.

"Well, we also have nuclear weapons in our world." I shuddered thinking about it. "If a nuke is dropped, it can decimate the surrounding area. First, there's the explosion. Then, the radiation stays for a very long time, infecting many."

Corrin looked at me angrily. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, unfortunately. I am not joking around."

Corrin sighed. "Well, the portal's open. Might as well go through it."

I nodded. "Right."

Before we entered, someone came running toward us. There was silence, and then a loud scream. "CORRIN!"

Corrin looked like he had a heart attack, but he quickly calmed himself down. "Oh, it's just you, Felicia. You nearly gave me a heart attack. What's the problem?"

The girl who ran over to us had long pink hair, and wore a long, black dress. They were wearing a maid's outfit, and she was holding a long staff, like Sakura. She also had what appeared to be a small dagger on her side.

"Nothing, Corrin," Felicia said, sighing. "It's just… I couldn't find you at the castle and I assumed you had gotten lost. Um… what are you doing? Who is this person?"

"This is Apollo, I believe it was." Corrin turned to me. "We're traveling to his world. He says it's unsafe, but hopefully only unsafe in certain areas."

"That would explain the portal…" Felicia nodded. "Alright! May I join you on your journey?"

Corrin nodded. "Well, I don't see why not. Everyone, let's head through!"

We walked in a single file line through the portal. I was very excited to be heading back to my home planet, but I also felt worried for my new acquaintances. Hopefully, the citizens of Paris wouldn't mind knights and mages taking a quick trip through their town. The second I entered the portal, I was blinded by a bright light. I started rubbing my eyes, and Hinoka noticed me.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Too much brightness for you?"

"N-No, I'm f-fine… Actually, yes, it's far too bright in here… God, how can you guys stand this?"

"After a few times, you get used to it." Hinoka walked beside me. "So, about this world of yours… how many people live there?"

"How many people live in yours?" I asked.

"You can't answer a question with a question." She glared. "But, we have a few hundred thousand people living here. How about yours?"

"Well, we have about seven billion people living on the planet."

"Seven _billion_?" Hinoka looked shocked. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm telling the truth." I turned to her. "Two of our countries have over a billion citizens."

"What country do you come from?" she asked.

"I come from the United States. It's a very big country with a strong economy, and we also have many allies across the globe. Like, the United Kingdom and France."

"We're here," Felicia said.

The light was dying, and I got a huge breath of the smell from the Seine River. Elise looked excited, but Corrin looked either worried or confused.

"Um… Apollo, are you sure we're in the right area?"

I nodded. "Yup, we're in Paris. I'm sure of it."

The light disappeared, and we found ourselves on a rather large bridge above the water. Everyone looked around with amazement… It seemed like they weren't familiar with our lifestyle. I felt so relieved to be back in the right dimension. Before I could even think about anything, someone tackled me down. I looked up and noticed Phoenix walking over toward me. He looked like he had been crying, but he had a bright smile on his face.

"P-Polly!" the person on me said. "You're safe! I'm so glad!

I blushed and smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Trucy. How goes the search?"

Corrin pulled out his sword, and pointed it at Phoenix and Trucy. Xander did the same, and Kaze pulled out one of his shurikens. Phoenix gulped, and grabbed Trucy. He slowly backed away.

"Guys, stop!" I shouted. "This is my girlfriend… Trucy. And my mentor, Phoenix Wright."

"Your girlfriend…?" Elise sighed sadly. "Oh, I see…"

I knelt down and looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

Her face turned a little pink. "N-No, n-nothing is wrong!"

Trucy glared at me and punched my shoulder. "Polly, who is this?! You aren't cheating on me, are you?"

I shook my head. "Of course not, Trucy… You're the most beautiful girl in the world."

Trucy blushed. "Uh, t-thanks, Apollo…"

Corrin sheathed his sword. "Oh, sorry about that. I was just being a little paranoid there…"

Kaze smiled at him slyly. "Yeah, a little _too_ paranoid. You'll literally pull out your weapon and strike at anything that moves. Well, minus the striking part. You would most likely turn your blade into a fencing sword."

Trucy's eyes widened. She looked up at Corrin. "Ooh, are you a knight?"

Corrin chuckled. "Yes, I am. I've served in both the Nohrian and Hoshidan armies. I had to make a fateful choice. When asked, I decided to fight independently. I had families on both sides. To pick a side would be treason."

"Look, Pearly! The Steel Samurai!" It didn't take a detective to figure out that the person who said that was Maya. After getting to know her a bit, I learned about her hobbies and interests. She ran up to Kaze and started smiling brightly. Kaze backed away slowly.

"You're a samurai, aren't you?" Maya shouted.

"A… samurai?!" Kaze sighed. "No, milady, I'm a… ninja."

"Ninja, samurai, they're all the same!"

Kaze shook her head. "No, they're not. Ninja carry shurikens, so they can move around a lot easier. Samurais carry unwieldy spears, they can barely move."

Maya glared. "What? Are you saying ninja are better than samurai?"

Kaze smiled. "Not explicitly, but yes, that pretty much sums up what I'm saying."

"Grrr! I'll show you, old man!"

Phoenix sighed. "I thought you got over your 'Stepladder versus Ladder' habit, Maya…"

"I did, Nick!" Maya smiled slyly. "Now it's become a 'Ninja versus Samurai' habit!" She turned to Kaze. "Obviously, samurai are superior to ninja!"

"Oh, really?" Kaze said as he pulled out a shuriken. "This is a Sting Shuriken, capable of hitting enemies from a distance. It can pierce through armor, but only light armor."

Maya glared. "The Steel Samurai is _totally_ gonna kick your butt! His Samurai Spear can deflect any ranged weapon!"

Felicia grabbed Kaze's arm. "That's enough, Kaze. Put your weapon away before you cause any more trouble."

"That reminds me!" I shouted. "Mister Wright, any luck?"

"Any luck with what… Oh! Right, the paintings. We haven't had any luck yet. Espella and Eve keep detecting paintings in certain buildings, but when we actually search the area, we can't find anything."

"Would you mind if we came with you?" Hinoka asked.

"Not at all!" Phoenix smiled. "We would be happy to have your company. It's been rather lonely."  
Hinoka walked over to me. "Hey, um, Apollo… Uh, sorry about before."

I smiled. "It's alright. It was just a misunderstanding. Let's just forget about it."

She blushed lightly. "I'm not sure about that. That was almost murder. We can't just forget about something like that easily."

I shook my head. "It'll be alright. Come on, everyone…"

Kaze cleared his throat. "Not yet. We don't know what this mission is. It could be a trap. Also, we haven't proven that Apollo is innocent in Ryoma's murder."

Xander glared at him. "That is enough, Kaze. He says he isn't the killer, and I believe him."

"Then you're as much a fool as he is."

"What was that?" Xander pulled his blade out of his holster, as Kaze pulled out his shuriken.

"B-Brother!" Elise shouted. "Stop! We agreed to peace between our nations!"

Xander turned away from her. "Stay out of this, Elise. This isn't a conflict between two nations, it's a personal conflict. Now, Kaze… Let's finish this."

"Maya!" I hissed. "Come on, do something!"

She jumped. "Wh-What am I supposed to do? I don't have any weapons!"

I sighed. "Don't use a weapon. Use your ability."

"My…?" Suddenly, she realized it. "Oh, you mean spirit channeling. Why didn't you just say so?"

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you would have known what to do…"

Maya took a deep breath, and put her hands together. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Her body began to slightly glow, and a transparent figure began entering her body. She grew taller, her hair turning red. There was a small sword near her stomach. The light finally died down, and I looked back at the others.

Sakura and Hinoka couldn't hold in their tears.

"R-Ryoma!" Hinoka shouted, hugging him.

"B-Big Brother!" Sakura shouted, also hugging him.

Ryoma chuckled. "It's great to see you again, sisters…"

Corrin also began crying. "I… Ryoma, I can't believe it… Y-You're back…" He walked over and hugged him.

Tears ran down Ryoma's face. "It's so nice… It's been a while since we've been together…"

Kaze walked over to him. "Lord Ryoma… do you recognize… him?" He pointed to me.

Ryoma nodded. "Ah yes, Apollo Justice…? Well, he was involved in my murder."

Kaze pulled out his shuriken. "Hinoka, I need some assistance. We need to exterminate him now."

Ryoma looked at him sternly. "I wasn't finished, Kaze. He wasn't the killer. He was an attorney defending a client. Now, put away your weapon. We don't need to cause any more trouble in this world."

Kaze sighed. "Fine, Lord Ryoma." Kaze turned to me. "My apologies for before."

I smiled. "It's alright, Kaze. Just a misunderstanding. I told Hinoka the same thing earlier. Now, let's retrieve the paintings. We're wasting our time here."

"Agreed," Phoenix said. He turned to my new… friends, I guess. "Do any of you have magical skills?"

"Some of us do," Sakura said. "W-We're able to do amazing things using Dragon Veins."

"Like magic tricks?!" Trucy yelled. "Like… _magic_ magic?"

Corrin chuckled. "Yup, _magic_ magic. We just need to find a spot in the ground that has a Dragon Vein and we'll be able to show you our true power."

"Show us," Phoenix said. "Show us evidence. Prove it to us."

"Very well. Please stand back." Corrin stared at the ground for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before doing several different hand motions. The ground beneath his feet began to glow green. Suddenly, a stream of fire shot out from the asphalt. The fire stream turned into a massive fireball, which Corrin launched onto the ground about thirty feet in front of him.

"C-Corrin!" I shouted. "Wh-What the hell are you doing?!"

He smiled. "I used a Dragon Vein. Well, what did you think?"

"You launched a fireball into the city!" I shouted.

"Relax, it's not like the fireball is going to kill anyone. It'll go into the ground and assist us in our… mission."

"How does it help us?" Trucy asked.

"The Dragon Vein I have used will point us in the right direction. The paintings you are looking for… you will be able to see arrows that will point you in the right direction. Now, follow me."

We continued our journey through the city with Corrin leading us. He kept on saying something about the Dragon Veins and how we were almost in the area, but it seemed like the walk lasted for hours. Corrin paused and stared at the ground again. When he finished saying his prayer, a small area on the ground turned green in the shape of an arrow. It was pointing to a medium-sized shack on a street corner.

"It looks like we've found the first painting," Corrin said. "Let's go inside."


	18. The Dragon and the Exalt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Mild spoilers for Dark Moon)

The shack was very dreary—there were smashed colored glass windows, walls covered in cobwebs, and the material used to support the structure was suboptimal. The building was literally supported by mossy stone and wood planks instead of bricks and concrete. Trying to walk inside the building was also a nightmare. Piles of debris littered the floor, there were massive holes in the ground, and we were constantly worrying about the entire building collapsing if we took a single step.

“Corrin,” Ryoma said. “Are you sure this is the right area? This building looks worse than the buildings in our kingdoms during the war. Perhaps the Dragon Vein is inaccurate? After all, it doesn’t seem like many people have that sort of power here.”

“I don’t think it’s inaccurate,” Corrin replied. “This is very strange. I’ve never seen a Dragon Vein lead us to the wrong area. We’re in the right area, I’m sure of it!”

We continued pushing through the garbage until we reached the back of the slum. Felicia walked beside Corrin and suddenly yelped. From the sound that came before her yelp… It sounded like a board or a piece of metal hitting the floor. Corrin pulled her over to make sure she was alright, while Ryoma picked up the invisible object. He felt around on the floor before finally finding it.

“What is it?” I asked. 

“I can’t tell,” Ryoma said. “It feels rather heavy. The outside feels rough and metallic, and it seems to sort of dip on the inside. The center of this object is smooth compared to the outside. Any ideas on what this thing is?”

“May I see it?” I grabbed it from him and began rubbing it. It perfectly matched his description—rough on the outside, smooth on the inside. Suddenly, it hit me. “M-Mister Wright, you don’t think it could be… the painting, do you?”

“There aren’t many options, Apollo,” Phoenix noted. “The only conclusion I could make is that what you have in your possession is one of the paintings we are looking for.”

Trucy took it from me. “It’s invisible, though. We need to find something that can make it visible for us.”

I thought about using my bracelet. As I have mentioned before, I have a special ability that allows me to see things better than many others—the ability to  _ perceive _ things. However, I could only detect visible movements. The painting… my ability wouldn’t work on it. Beside me, Sakura knelt down and pulled out a flashlight tip buried in a pile of wood planks. Hinoka helped her remove some of the other fallen debris, and we found the handle of it. After connecting it together again, they tried to figure out how to get it to work. Ryoma took the flashlight from them, and decided to press the button on the handle. Instead of emitting a white light, the light coming from the flashlight had a dark, rainbow-colored hue. He swung it around like a lightsaber, and the light went into my eyes.

“HEY!” I shouted. “WATCH OUT! DON’T SHINE THAT IN ANYONE’S EYES, PLEASE!”

“Sorry about that,” he said. He released the button he was holding down and the light disappeared. “I am unfamiliar with that tool. Do you know what it is?”

“That tool is a flashlight,” I said. “It’s used to illuminate a small area when there is no light or not enough light. Normally, flashlights emit a bright white light, like the light in the portal. This one is unique, though… Very strange.”

“Wait a minute!” Xander shouted. “Ryoma, may I have the… glowy thing?”

Ryoma passed him the flashlight. “Be careful, it could be dangerous.”

“This could be it.” Xander swung the flashlight around as if it were a sword. “This could be what we need to see the painting frame. Apollo, may I borrow that?”

I handed him the frame, and he turned on the flashlight. He pointed it at his palm, and an object was appearing. Ten seconds passed by, and we saw it—a painting containing one of Phoenix’s friends. I reached out to grab it, but before I could, several small balls appeared and flew around the room. I was so shocked, I jumped back and tripped over a pile of rubbish. I hit the wall, which busted open.

Phoenix lunged forward and managed to grab one of the spheres. Corrin pulled out his sword and slashed at the ball multiple times, but it traveled right through his blade. Hinoka and Xander teamed up to try and skewer them, but nothing they did worked. Phoenix yelped in pain and started rubbing his hands on his blazer. The spheres rose up to the ceiling, and charged like dive-bombers toward us. Hinoka and Corrin dodged and rushed to the corner. They tried whispering, but I could still hear them.

Corrin started shouting first. Well, quietly. “Hinoka, these things are too powerful! They aren’t affected by our blades! I doubt shurikens and daggers will do any damage either!”

Hinoka pocketed her blade. “Then we’ve got no choice. We’ll need to use as much strength as possible using Dragon Veins! Come on, Corrin!” She placed her hand on the ground.

“Right,” Corrin said, and he, too, placed his hand on the floor.

They both focused, and a calm breeze blew into the shack. The breeze turned into a powerful gust of wind, catching everyone off guard. We were all knocked off of our feet and accidentally smashed a hole through the weak floor. Corrin’s eyes began to glow, and so did Hinoka’s. A few moments later, a tornado-like object appeared in the center of the room. We were heavy enough to not get sucked into it. The spheres, fortunately, were not able to escape. They flew into the eye of the tornado and vanished. Hinoka and Corrin released their grip from the floor, and the winds abruptly stopped. Xander looked in his hands with utter shock. The painting had reappeared in his hands. I looked at the painting. There appeared to be a person wearing a cravat like Edgeworth. The painting had no color, however, so it was hard to recognize the person.

“Um, sir?” Trucy asked. 

“Yes?” Xander looked at her.

“May I borrow the flashlight?”

Xander nodded, and Trucy aimed it at the painting. She activated it, and the dark light shone on the canvas. The painting’s background turned from sepia to a bunch of different colors. The person in the middle started regaining her color—her hair was blue, she had a white cravat, and she had a black suit. She slowly exited the painting. As soon as she exited the painting, she fell onto the floor. Phoenix walked over to her to make sure she was okay, but before he could, she pulled out a whip and whipped him. There was a loud snap, and Phoenix fell backward. The girl whipped him relentlessly.

“DIE! DIE, GHOSTS!” she yelled. “LET EDGEWORTH GO!”

“OUCH!” Phoenix shouted. “Fr-Franziska, it’s me! Phoenix Wright!”

“Phoenix… Wright…?” Franziska looked up. She glared at him again. “O-Oh… You foolish fool!”

Phoenix jumped back. “Hey! How am I foolish?!”

“We hate each other, Phoenix Wright!” She brandished her whip. “We’ve been mortal enemies ever since we first battled in court! I… It doesn’t make any sense. Why would you help me after everything I’ve done to you?”

Phoenix sighed and smiled. “Because it’s the right thing to do. Let’s put the past behind us and find your friends.”

Franziska hugged him. I guess it must’ve been unusual for her to do so, because Phoenix looked shocked. He blushed. 

“Thank you… Phoenix,” she said. 

“Uhhh… y-you’re w-welcome, F-Franziska…”

Corrin walked up to them. “Um… sorry to break up the reunion, but where are we supposed to find the other people?”

Phoenix moved away from Franziska. “I could try calling them on my phone.”

They looked at him with a confused expression, but he ignored them and took out his phone. He dialed a random number and started up a call. He kept on muttering something about the person on the other side of the line, something about picking up the phone. The other person finally answered.

“H-Hello?” It was Espella. “Who’s this?”

“Oh, Espella!” Phoenix said. “It’s me, Phoenix Wright. I’m checking on you and Eve. How’s the search going?”

“It’s going nicely,” she responded. “We’ve been searching in this park for one of the paintings. Eve used her magic and it led us to an open field. After some digging, we found one of the paintings. Unfortunately, we don’t know how to free the person from the painting.”

“Do you think you could explain what this person looks like?” 

“Of course,” said Espella. “It’s a male, kinda tall. He has a fluffy white thing on his neck, and he has dark hair. His suit is also rather dark as well.”

“Edgeworth…!” Phoenix looked like he was going to faint. “Er… sorry, Espella! Gotta go!” He hung up, and started running toward the exit. While he was sprinting, he glanced at us and yelled at us to follow him. Some of us followed him, but Corrin, Hinoka, Felicia, Xander, and I stayed behind. Corrin looked at the ground and opened up another portal. There was a bright flash, and we teleported to a different location. 

“Lord Corrin?” 

When we arrived on the other side of the portal, I found that I had face-planted into a grassy field. The surrounding air was warm… like the winds of a tropical island. I looked up and noticed several buildings. They were made out of wood and stone… Buildings from maybe a thousand-something years ago. I turned slightly and noticed a small, floating creature. My first instinct was to just scream… which I did.

“AAAHHH!!!” I shouted. I scooted away. “Wh-What is that thing?!”

The creature stared at me sadly. It stared at the ground with a disappointed expression and fluttered over to Corrin. He glared at me.

“Apollo,” he said angrily. “This is Lilith. She is a very close friend, and she is a dragon.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, she won’t harm you.” He turned to Lilith. “It’s alright… He won’t hurt you.”

Hinoka smiled at her. “Yeah, and if he does hurt you, I’ll hurt him!” She pulled out her knife.

I sighed. “Not this again…” 

Lilith slowly fluttered over to me. “U-Um… Hi, I’m Lilith…”

I smiled. “Hi, Lilith. I’m Apollo. Apollo Justice. I promise I won't hurt you.”

Lilith sighed. “That’s good. Anyway… What are you doing here?”

“We needed a shortcut to get to the location,” Corrin answered. “The quickest way of traveling from one location to another back in Hoshido is using the Astral Plane. We can also use the Astral Plane to train our forces and mend our wounds. After this mission is over, would you like to have a tour of the fort?”

I smiled. “That would be nice. Thank you, Corrin.”

“What kind of warrior are you?” Lilith asked.

“Excuse me?” I said.

“What kind of warrior are you? Are you a shapeshifter, or a mage, or a knight?”

“I’m a defense attorney!” I shouted. “I’ve been one for about four years now!”

“A defense  _ what _ ?” She shook her head. “Pardon me… I’ve never heard of such a type of warrior before.”

Xander chuckled. “That’s what he told me when I questioned him earlier. I’m not exactly sure what a defense attorney is either.”

“Well, in that case… What weapons do you use?”

“What weapons do I… Oh! I use evidence and the Court Record to get my client off the hook!”

“The… Court Record?” Felicia asked. “Is that a type of blade?”

“No!” I groaned. “The Court Record and evidence are described as weapons! They’re not  _ real _ weapons, they’re figurative! Well, sometimes the evidence is a literal weapon, but that’s beside the point. We should be looking for the paintings.”

“Right!” Hinoka said. “Let’s head out there!”

Lilith perched on Corrin’s shoulder and Corrin quickly opened up another portal. We walked through it, and reappeared in Paris. We stepped out of the portal and ended up in a drab room. The walls were brown and gray, the flooring was less than appealing… Lilith looked very excited, though.

“This looks interesting!” she said. She turned to me. “Sorry, I’m not used to these kinds of things.”

“No need to apologize,” I said, chuckling. “It’s only natural that you would be excited.”

There was a loud noise of a strange object being scraped against metal. The noise echoed throughout the room, and it seemed to be getting louder. It appeared to be coming from around the corner. Without warning, Hinoka pulled out her naginata and slowly walked forward with it. Corrin and Xander also pulled out their weapons and followed close behind. Lilith jumped off of Corrin’s shoulder and flew towards Felicia. I stayed behind with her and Felicia. The screeching noise eventually disappeared, followed by a  _ ding _ noise. I walked around the corner and saw the three of them waiting nervously. Another door opened, and I saw Maya and Pearl together.

Hinoka pointed her naginata at Maya. “You there! You’re a soldier enlisted in the army of the enemy, aren’t you?”

Maya jumped back, but glared. “N-NO! Of course not!”

Maya looked like she was ready to tackle Hinoka. Xander and Corrin readied their weapons, and Pearls slowly walked backward. Hinoka raised her naginata and prepared to strike—

“HOLD IT!” 

Hinoka lost her grip on the naginata and dropped it. Xander and Corrin also lost control of their weapons. Maya jumped backward, and so did Pearl.

I pointed at Hinoka. “Let her go.”

“You know this person?” Hinoka asked.

“She’s a friend,” I said. “Drop your weapon.”

Hinoka bent down and placed her naginata on the floor, and turned to face Maya. It was hard to hear what she was saying, but she quickly mumbled “Sorry,” while trying not to make eye contact. Maya let out a frustrated sigh, and grabbed Pearl’s arm. She tried to push her way past Hinoka but was stopped by Corrin.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I don’t need to tell you anything.” Maya sulked. 

“You don’t need to tell me anything,” Corrin said. “However, we’ve been under attack recently, and we need to know if you’re an enemy or not.”

Maya groaned. “Ugh, fine, I’ll tell you. I’m Maya Fey, and this is my cousin, Pearl Fey. I am acquainted with Apollo Justice. I am also a spirit channeler. “

“Wait… Didn’t we meet a while ago?” Corrin suddenly realized something. “You’re the medium who channeled my brother’s spirit, correct?”

“Right…” Maya tilted her head. “How did it go? Did you get any information from him?”

Xander cut in. “It went well. We successfully retrieved one of the paintings. We had this cool device that allowed us to free the person from the painting. We rescued someone who was armed with a whip. The spiky-headed lawyer got whipped hard by the blue-hair lady.”

Felicia tapped my shoulder. “This is your friend?”

I whispered, “Yeah. Well, I haven’t gotten to know her very well, but I have met her in court before.” I faced Maya. “What happened? I thought you were following Mister Wright and the others.”

Maya looked down. “Well, when the victim’s spirit left my body, I realized that the others had left me behind. I called out Phoenix’s name, but there was no response. So, I had no choice! I continued in the other direction. I was exploring the city when I bumped into Pearl. Apparently, after you disappeared in the river, everyone became shocked, and accidentally split up. Anyway, after I found Pearl, we decided to inspect this old apartment. And then we bumped into you and your cosplayers here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hinoka growled.

“You’re dressed up like you’re from the Medieval Era! You know, dressed up like a knight!”

Corrin chuckled. “I know our appearance may fool you, but don’t underestimate the power of the royals. The royals of both Nohr and Hoshido have dragon blood flowing through their veins. At any time, if there is a Dragon Vein nearby, we can use it to do many things. We are actual soldiers.”

“ _ Right _ …” Maya said sarcastically. 

Corrin eyed her suspiciously. “Do you not believe me?”

Maya shook her head. ‘No, it’s not that exactly. Well, what you explained seems possible, but it also seems very unlikely.”

“I could say the same thing about spirit channeling,” Corrin noted.

Felicia interrupted them. “Um… shouldn’t we be continuing our search for the paintings?”

I nodded. “Of course. You’re right, Felicia. Let’s move on.”

Maya walked back into the elevator with Pearls and the rest of us followed her in. It was cramped inside the elevator… We had about ten people inside it at the same time. I called out to Maya.

“So, what have you found here so far?” I asked. 

She turned her head. “Well, we inspected a couple floors of the apartment. We also took a look at the cellar.”

“There’s a cellar here?” I said. “Well, what did you find down there?”

Maya sighed. “Nothing really. It was too dusty and dark down there for us to properly search the room. I think the power might’ve been shut off recently. Actually, it seems like the cellar hasn’t been accessed for a very long time.”

“Well, if the dust is a problem, we can just use the flashlight thing to help us get through the area!” I turned to Xander. “Right?”

Maya let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, er, I think I accidentally threw it away…”

“Wh-What?!” I groaned. (Damn! Of course it wouldn’t be that easy…)

“Well, the victim left my body, and I found myself holding some weird flashlight. Of course, I realized I didn’t have any use for it. So, I trashed it… Sorry, Apollo.”

“It’s fine, I guess…” 

Hinoka glared. “No, it’s  _ not _ fine! We needed that flashlight to free the person from the painting.”

“O-Oh, right…” I groaned. “Well, let’s just explore the apartment.”

We rode the elevator up to the roof. The concrete floor was filled with giant cracks, which felt like they would break at any moment. There was a small generator on the side of the roof, and there was no railing. I shuddered.

Corrin looked concerned. “What’s wrong, Apollo?”

I refused to make eye contact with him. “S-Sorry… I’m just not very good with heights…”

Felicia smiled. “Don’t worry, ‘Pollo! We’ll be with you if you need any support!”

“‘Pollo?” I asked. “Is that my new nickname?”

“Yeah. I thought it was cute.” 

I blushed. “Um… Thanks, I guess.”

Hinoka turned to Corrin. “Can you use another Dragon Vein?”

Corrin glared at her. “Why can’t  _ you _ do it? You’ve got the blood of the dragons flowing through your veins as well, Hinoka! Besides, I think I’ve used enough Dragon Veins for one day.”

Hinoka sighed. “Fine, Corrin.” She turned away from him. She concentrated, and a green wall of flames formed a small fireball. The fireball hovered in the air before flying into the generator on the side of the building. Hinoka closely inspected the generator. She tried looking through the fan blades.

“I can’t see anything in here,” she said.

Xander stared at the metallic object. “What is… this object?”

“It’s a generator,” Pearl replied. “It provides energy for the building. It doesn’t seem to be exactly working.”

Xander unsheathed his sword and slashed at the metal. There was a deafening scrape, and several sparks flew. Xander looked at his sword, which scratched at the tip. He sighed and sheathed his blade. Hinoka spun her naginata and jabbed it into the generator, It pierced through the metal (which was good news), but ended up getting stuck (bad news). 

Corrin cupped his hands around a small gray-white orb. His body glowed a silver hue, and his appearance began to change. Instead of regular legs and arms, he had giant limbs with claws at the ends. His face changed—he no longer had the tattoo, his hairstyle changed… His entire body was also covered in scales.

“Is that a—a—” I could barely speak. 

Xander nodded. “It’s a dragon… Corrin appears to be one of the only individuals who can transform into one of them. We all have dragon blood flowing through our veins, but Corrin seems to have some sort of unique ability.”

Corrin raised an arm and slashed at the generator. The metal exploded as if a bomb had exploded from inside of it. Shrapnel-like metal flew in every direction, and a small portrait fell onto the concrete. Corrin closed his eyes and returned to his human form, while Felicia picked up the painting frame. She presented it to me.

“Is this the right painting?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yup. That’s Mister Edgeworth, all right.” I smiled, and she handed it to me. “Thanks, Felici—”

_ Boom _ . There was a loud explosion that sent several of us flying. I was launched a few feet into the air and lost my grip on the painting. I looked at the area where the explosion had occurred—there was a giant hole in the floor. My vision was blurry, but I could see the portrait a few feet in front of me. A person with white hair like Corrin picked up the painting.

“Give… it…” I managed to get out.

“I’m sorry,” the person said. “I found this earlier. I’ll be taking it now.” 

Felicia tossed a dagger at him. He turned to counter the attack, but couldn’t react quick enough. The dagger grazed his shoulder, creating a small tear in the fabric of his clothing and a small cut in his skin. He held a book in his hand and hovered his hand above it, creating a ball of lightning. Xander jumped in front of Felicia and shielded both of them with his sword. The lightning struck the sword and disintegrated.

“Robin.” There was a voice somewhere in the distance. 

“E-Emmeryn…” Robin froze. “Wh-What are you doing here…?”

“There is no need to fight,” the voice said calmly. “This can be settled with diplomacy.”

Robin took a deep breath and faced us again. “I… I’m sorry, people. I will have to take this. It’s only fair, I found it first. I hope you understand.”

Xander raised his sword. “You dare attack a Nohrian royal?!”

“I… shouldn’t have done that,” Robin admitted.

“You’re right,” Xander mused. Suddenly, he lunged at Robin. He quickly lowered his blade and Robin flinched. There was a deafening metallic sound, and Xander fell backwards. Xander coughed and looked up at what had blocked him. The person defending him was wearing navy-blue armor and held a long sword in his hand. They seemed barely fazed from the attack.

“Thanks, Chrom.” Robin smiled.

“Anytime.” Chrom glanced at us before turning back to Robin. “Now, let’s teach these dastards a lesson!”

“Damn it!” Corrin whispered loudly. “I would have preferred if we had gotten out of this mess peacefully, but… Argh! We have no other choice! We must fight to defend ourselves!”

Chrom looked at me again. “Wait… is that…? Apollo?”

“C-Chrom?” I stuttered. “Wh-What’s going on?”

He scowled. “Stand down. You needn’t be involved in this debate.”

I clenched my fist. “No… I won’t let you harm my friends.”

“Then you’ll suffer the same fate as them. I’ll take no pleasure in this, but, I will strike you down if you resist!”

“So be it!” My confidence was rising. I could feel my blood begin to boil, and my vision became red. I knew I was making rash decisions that I probably shouldn’t be making, but I wasn’t about to watch my friends die. 

Hinoka grabbed my shoulder. “What are you doing, Apollo?! Taking on a knight unarmed?! That’s suicide!”

“I’m not going to watch my friends die! I’m going to do something about this! And you won’t stop me, Hinoka.”

Hinoka just let out a disappointed sigh and trailed off to meet up with the rest of the soldiers. 

“Very well.” Chrom swung his blade. “You talk a good game, Apollo. Now, let’s see you put your money where your mouth is! Prove to me that you’re willing to fight!”

“Apollo,” Corrin sighed. “Are you really willing to risk your life for us?”

I nodded. “Of course. And nothing you say will make me change my mind!”

“Then, you’ll need this.” He handed me a light sword.

“What’s this made of?” I asked him.

“Bronze.” He looked at his own sword. “Not as effective as an iron sword, but it’s decent, that’s for sure.”

Corrin cupped the stone in his hands and changed into a dragon. Maya and Pearl walked briskly around the corner, occasionally peeking out to check on us. Without warning, Robin raised his hand to the sky and a bolt of lightning struck my chest shortly after. I choked and dropped the blade. 

“You can handle the others!” Chrom yelled at Robin. “I’ll handle Apollo!”

“What about the reinforcements?” Robin asked.

“They’ll show up eventually! For now, we fight to the best of our abilities!”

Hinoka and Corrin charged at Robin together. Robin unleashed another lightning bolt at Corrin, but the attack was deflected by Hinoka’s naginata. Hinoka slashed at Robin’s chest, slightly denting his armor and sending him back a few steps. A moment later, Corrin head-butted Robin, and his armor cracked open. Hinoka smiled at Corrin victoriously. Robin quickly unsheathed a blade and made a slit in Corrin’s chest. Corrin let out a pained scream and collapsed on the floor. His body began to shrink until he had returned to his human form. The injury may have seemed small when he was in his dragon form, but in his human form, there was a scratch across his entire chest.

I watched in horror as Hinoka frantically tried to wake Corrin up and as Robin brandished his sword. Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in their battle that I didn’t notice Chrom charging at me. I felt a slight tightening feeling on my wrist. My bracelet was contracting, and I quickly found out why. However, before I figured it out, Chrom had made a fresh cut on my cheek. I yelped in pain and hit the floor, my blade a few feet away. Chrom raised his sword to strike, but I rolled out of the way and picked up the sword. He struck the concrete, and it cracked open. Blood streamed down my face and into my vest. Chrom, unsurprisingly, showed no remorse.

“This is your last chance!” He stared daggers at me. 

I glared back. “You can’t make me change my mind!”

He pretended to turn away, then lunged. This time, I was prepared for his attack. I was learning from his attacks. I knew which direction he would strike from, when he would attack, how I could counter his strikes… I honestly felt like I had been doing this my whole life. He raised his sword and slashed downward, which I tried to deflect. I was able to prevent him from stabbing me, which was good, but his blade was a lot heavier than mine was. He continued to press harder, and I got pushed closer to the ground. I hit the floor, and could hardly breathe. I kicked Chrom in the gut, which was probably not the greatest idea. He groaned and dropped his blade. The flat of his sword landed on my stomach. I tossed the bronze sword aside and gripped the new blade. The blade wouldn’t budge when I pulled it.

Chrom chuckled. “What’s wrong? Blade too heavy for you?”

I groaned. “It feels like I’m trying to lift a bag full of bricks! What’s this blade made of?”

“That weapon is the Falchion, a sacred Ylissean weapon. It can only be wielded by people with the Brand… The Brand of the Exalt. Unfortunately, you tried to use the Falchion and disarmed yourself in the process. Now, I’ll be taking that back.”

He reached out to grab the Falchion when he was struck by a dagger in his thigh. He collapsed and I noticed Felicia standing over him. I let out a sigh of relief, but I realized another problem: The Falchion was on my stomach, which meant I couldn't remove it. That also meant I was pinned to the floor.

“Hey, ‘Pollo!” Felicia said. “Bet you didn’t see that one coming!”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t.”

“What’s wrong?” She looked concerned. “You’re lying on the ground, not moving at all! Are you injured? I can heal you!”

“I’m not really injured.” I glanced at the Falchion. “Just sort of… you know… stuck.”

Felicia smiled. “Don’t worry! If it’s too heavy for you, we can remove it together!”

“Alright, then!” I smiled back. “Together… now!” We both pulled on the Falchion, which still wouldn’t budge. After a few attempts, we gave up.

“What do we do?” Felicia asked.

“I don’t know…” I looked to my side. “Wait, Felicia!”

“Huh?”

“Can you hand me my sword?” I pointed to my right. “I threw it down there somewhere!”

“Alright, then,” Felicia replied. She set off to locate the blade. 

Chrom suddenly perked up… he had noticed something. I was able to lift my head slightly off the ground. I saw a portal appearing near Hinoka. A girl holding a staff walked through it, followed by a knight mounting some sort of horse. Another person with blue hair like Chrom had followed the first girl. 

“Hey! Frederick!” Chrom shouted. “Great timing!”

“Heh. I knew you’d need our assistance.” Frederick chuckled. 

Frederick charged at Hinoka and knocked her down, while the blue-haired girl tried to slash at Xander. Strangely, her blade looked exactly like Chrom’s. Hinoka jabbed at the girl with the staff, but the attack was deflected by the blue-hair girl. Felicia returned with the bronze sword and I pushed the Falchion off my body. Before Chrom could reach the Falchion, I slashed at him with my sword. His armor became dented, and I heard a loud snap. The bronze sword had broken… I was defenseless.

Felicia and I left Chrom behind and ran over to the main battlefield. Corrin was still on the floor, still as a statue. His breathing was shallow, and he had bled through his clothes. Around him were a few blood-stained dragon scales. The blue-hair girl had created a huge gash in Xander’s armor, and the remaining forces weren’t strong enough to defeat them. 

Hinoka let out a shaky breath. “Lilith, send us back to the Astral Plane! We can’t defeat them!”

“Alright, Lady Hinoka!” Lilith quickly opened up another portal, and they began to retreat. I signaled for Maya and Pearl to follow them, which they did. Hinoka dragged Corrin through it, and I prepared to enter.

“Not so fast!” Those were the last words I heard before I felt pain running through my whole head. I collapsed, my vision blurring. The portal was slowly fading, and I saw the world slowly disappearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the weird ending, the chapter was stretching too long and I needed to end it. I'm kind of basing the ending of Chapter 18 on a specific chapter in Fire Emblem: Fates.


	19. Ylisse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild spoilers for Fire Emblem: Awakening. Proceed with caution.

I woke up lying on a rough surface. The surface felt like it had algae or moss growing on it. My vision cleared up a small bit, and I realized that I was being held prisoner by… whoever those people were. The bars were made of rusty iron, which looked like it could fall apart at any second. The wall was filled with chips and dents, and the floor looked very rough and jagged. My head was still throbbing, and I tried to remember what had happened before this.

I heard footsteps that gradually became louder. Not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, I turned over and faced the wall. The footsteps seemed to stop when the person appeared in front of my cell.

“Are you awake?” 

(That voice…) I turned to look at the person. (The blue hair…) 

“Ah… You’re awake.”

“L-Lucina?” 

She smiled sadly. “Yes… it’s me. I need you to follow me.”

“A-Am I in trouble?” I stuttered.

“Not exactly in trouble… Well, sort of, but…” She sighed. “You’ll find out eventually. Now, please follow me.”

“Where are we headed?”

“We’re going to meet the Exalt,” she said, and I became stiff. She noticed this and chuckled. “Don’t worry. The Exalt is a peace-loving ruler. She’s the nicest person in the kingdom of Ylisse.”

“If you say so.” She stared angrily. I shook my head. “I mean… Not trying to offend anyone. I just… I just can’t trust anyone until I actually meet them, you know what I mean?”

“I understand.” 

She guided me through the long corridors of… wherever this place was. We appeared to be in some sort of cellar—there were many moss-covered armor suits and training targets, and the walls looked like they were crumbling. We climbed a flight of stairs and eventually reached the main part of the building. The building looked very similar to the castle in Hoshido… Some of the guards turned their heads and glanced at us before returning to their normal position. Lucina unlocked one of the doors in the building and we reached a massive room with a few people inside of it.

The room was gorgeous—giant, clear windows, a brown carpet stretching across the length of the room, and a big throne. The throne was colorful and cushioned, fit for a ruler. The ruler didn’t seem to be in the room, but I did notice a few of the people chatting in the center of the area. I recognized one of them… Chrom.

Chrom turned around. “Lucina, have you brought the prisoner?”

Lucina nodded. “Yes, Father.” 

Chrom noticed me and glared. “Oh… Apollo… Good morning.”

I just turned my head away from him. I couldn’t tell if I was ashamed, disappointed, or angry. I felt ashamed that I had challenged him in a one-on-one duel and had been defeated and I also felt disappointed, and I felt mildly angry that I had been held prisoner by him.

I turned to Lucina. “Where’s the Exalt?”

“She’ll show up eventually, I’m sure.” Lucina motioned to the group of people. “Why don’t you try talking to them?”

“Talking to the enemy?” I scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh, Lucina. When does talking to your enemy benefit you?”

She sighed. “Throughout our journey, we talked with many enemies and foes. We were able to persuade them to join our cause, and we expanded our army. It never hurts to try and talk with your enemy… er, most of the time, anyway.”

I swallowed and walked over to them. They were the same few people from the battlefield, along with a few other strangers. They were all armed, and I hesitated to start a conversation with them. The girl with the staff immediately recognized me. She ran up to me and struck me with her staff.

“Ouch! Hey! What was that for?!” I glared, rubbing my head.

Her cheeks puffed up. “That’s for attacking us!”

“What are you talking about?! I didn’t attack you!”

“You attacked my brother!” she shouted, taking another swing at me. “I’ll do anything to defend my family!”

I dodged her attack. “Hey! You attacked _us_ first! It was self-defense!”

Chrom shook his head. “I gave you a chance to back down, Apollo. You chose to fight. Now you shall pay the price.”

Lucina walked up to me and gently grabbed my ear. She bent down and whispered, “Okay, start a better conversation. Ask them to introduce themselves.”

I looked at the girl. “Um… want to introduce yourself?”

She continued glaring. “Never! You’re an enemy! Why should I tell you my name?!”

Chrom patted her shoulder. “Now, now, Lissa… He’s harmless, we took away all of his weapons. He won’t do anything to you, don't worry.”

(What weapons?) I thought. I didn’t remember having any weapons… I touched my bracelet. My hand went through it into my arm. I looked at my wrist and realized that it had been taken away.

I glared at Chrom. “What did you do to it?!”

He looked puzzled. “What did I do with what?”

“The bracelet!” 

His eyes lit up. “Oh, right… _That_ … We had to confiscate it. It was a weapon.”

I felt my eyes watering. “It wasn’t a weapon! That was a gift from my mother! Before she… died.”

Chrom looked guilty. “Oh… sorry about that. I didn’t realize…” He sighed. “My sister should be here soon.”

Lissa glared. “And if you do anything even _slightly_ bad to her, I’ll make you regret it!”

I shuddered. “A-Alright, then… Lissa…”

I walked up to Robin. “Um… hi, I’m Apollo…”

He reluctantly answered. “Hello… Apollo. I am… Robin.”

I turned to the knight. “Um… I’m Apollo.”

“I know.” He looked down on me. He was somewhere between six to seven feet. “The name’s Frederick. I’m a knight serving in a group called the Shepherds… Chrom, Robin, Lissa… and a few others. They aren’t here quite yet.”

“H-Hi…” Another person walked up to me. They had long brownish-silver hair, wore purple armor and dark leggings, and had a spear. 

“O-Oh, um… hi,” I replied. 

“I’m Sumia… Who are you?”

I felt my face burn. “U-Um… I’m Apollo! It’s nice to meet you, Sumia.”

“Nice to meet you too, Apollo…” She smiled. 

The doors to the room suddenly burst open, and a small boy ran inside. He was wearing the clothing of a sorcerer—sorcerer hat, heavy leathery coat, a spellbook… He ran up to Chrom, gasping and panting.

“M-Milord,” he finally managed to say.

“What’s happening, Ricken?”

Ricken wiped the sweat off his forehead. “The Exalt has been spotted entering the palace. She should be here in a few moments.”

Chrom smiled. “Thank you for telling us about that.” 

The doors opened again, and a woman entered the throne room. She wore large green robes, long blond braided hair, and she had an unusual birthmark on her forehead. I looked at Chrom and noticed he had the same marking on his right shoulder. She walked over to us and greeted Chrom and Lissa first.

She smiled. “Ah… Chrom, Lissa. How have you been?”

Lissa groaned. “Terrible! We got involved in another fight!”

Her smile faded. “Oh… Chrom, is this true?”

Chrom nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. We located a treasure in a separate dimension. Another group of people tried to take it from us. We managed to capture one of them, but the rest of their forces escaped.”

She glanced at me, then back at Chrom. “Is this the prisoner you speak of?”

“Well… yes. He isn’t really much for conversation… Very brave and selfless. Perhaps a little _too_ selfless…”

“Hey, Chrom!” Lissa shouted. “Shouldn’t you introduce our prisoner to her?”

“Oh! Right! I completely forgot about that! Apollo, this is Emmeryn, the current Exalt of Ylisse. Emmeryn, this is Apollo… Not exactly sure what he does.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, er… milady,” I said, bending down on one knee. 

She smiled. “Likewise. However… We need to sort out our little, hm, altercation. I would like an explanation of what happened.”

“We were searching for an artifact… which just so happened to be the same thing Robin was searching for. We located it, and then we were attacked by some kind of lightning bolt. Then some reinforcements appeared and we were overwhelmed. Chrom gave me a chance to stand down, but I refused. I chose to fight with my friends. I challenged him to one-on-one combat, and he nearly destroyed me. I almost escaped… _Almost_.”

“I see.” She turned to Robin and the others. “Is that what happened?”

“Basically.” Lissa was still scowling. “He’s guilty! Guilty!”

“Please… remain calm, Lissa,” Emmeryn said softly. “We won’t get anywhere by screaming at each other.”

Frederick stared at me. “What army do you serve in? Are you a spy from a foreign land?”

“No, I’m not,” I responded. “I’m from a foreign land, but I’m definitely not a spy.”

“Where are you from?” Sumia asked. “Y-You’re not from Plegia, are you?”

“I’m from the United States,” I said, and everybody looked at me with a confused expression. “Oh, um… I don’t think the US and the place we’re currently in exist in the same world. It’s a bit hard to explain. Do you not believe me?”

Chrom shook his head. “Of course, Apollo.”

Ricken looked at Chrom. “Captain! That’s ridiculous, though!”

“His story is believable.” Frederick cut in. “The Risen have been acting strange as of late. It feels like they’re gaining some sort of power surge. There were several Risen that appeared in Ferox, and we sent our soldiers to protect the area. We sent about twenty soldiers to the battlefield, and only about five of them returned to Ylisstol. Those who returned had gashes in their armor, and their swords and axes were on the verge of just breaking. Our archers returned without their weapons. The Risen were powerful before, but they were not necessarily seen as a threat by the people of Ylisse. Now, they’re one of the biggest threats in the continent. While we do not have any evidence supporting our theory that the Risen are gaining power from a different dimension, there is no evidence suggesting they _aren’t_ gaining this power either.”

Ricken looked at me. “Do you have any clue about what is causing this to happen?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve noticed a lot of weird things happening in my world.”

Chrom turned to me. “I don’t think you are part of the attackers. However, you have lost my trust, Apollo. You started a duel between Ylisse and whatever other nation that was. I hope you're happy.”

I kneeled down and placed my hands together. My voice sounded panicky. “Pl-please, I’m sorry, Chrom! I… I just don’t know what was running through my head! I had to make a decision! I had to protect my friends!”

He scoffed. “Friends? Please. I’m willing to bet you don’t even know who they are.”

“Wh-What?” (Don’t even know who they are…? What’s that supposed to mean?)

“You don’t understand? Fine. Let me explain. Your friends look and behave nothing like you. I saw your battle technique when first we dueled. You looked like an idiot out there. You could barely manage to control a bronze sword.”

I growled. “I… How dare you…?!”

“You acted all confident before… I thought you were actually going to put up a decent fight. However, I revealed you for the coward you really are! Your words mean nothing… you talk a good game, but you never know when to just keep your mouth shut, do you? You could’ve gotten away easily, but instead, you managed to get us all tangled up in this mess! We had become a peaceful nation, but you just _had_ to screw it up, didn’t you?!”

“What did you mean? When you said… they weren’t my friends?”

“If they truly were your friends, they would’ve saved you.” He knelt down in front of me and looked in my face. “You know what I’m talking about now, right?”

I let out a shaky response. “Y-Yes…”

“You have made yourself an enemy… our enemy. However…” He reached his hand out. “You can still redeem yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Forget about those traitors. Join our army, and serve to protect Ylisse! I know you want to… secretly.”

“Milord,” Frederick suddenly said. “Please, be careful. I am not comfortable with accepting a foreigner into our army. Who knows when he’ll stab all of us in the back.”

Chrom chuckled. “Quit worrying, Frederick. He won’t do _anything_ to harm us. In fact, the only reason he fought in the first place was to protect his supposed friends. In the end, though, his friends turned out to be nothing but a band of cowards who would flee at the first sign of danger. Once Apollo finally realizes that, he’ll lose his motivation and he’ll have to give in to the army. It’s a foolproof plan! Oh, that, and Apollo is still technically a prisoner. If he does try anything, we’ll make sure he gets punished… Lucina?”

“Yes, Father?”

“Take him back to his cell. We will question him later.”

“It shall be done.” She looked at me solemnly. “I’m sorry, Apollo. I don’t hate you… I just—I need to follow these orders, alright?”

I didn’t say anything. I just quietly sulked and turned away from the group. Lucina wrapped her arm around mine and dragged me over to the chamber again. She directed me back to my cell and locked the metal bars. 

“Wait,” she said.

“What do you want?”

She slipped a small bag through a small gap close to the ceiling of the cell. When it hit the moss-stained floor, there was a sharp ringing noise, like the sound of someone hitting a metal pole. She smiled sadly before quietly walking back out of the dungeon. After my ears stopped ringing, I picked up the small satchel and undid the knotted string that held it together. I reached inside and felt something color, hard, and metal. The object was mostly smooth, except for a small part that seemed to protrude out—it felt jagged like a gemstone. I pulled the object out of the bag.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “The bracelet…” A tear rolled down my face; I wasn’t sure whether I felt sadness, relief, happiness… or perhaps a combination of all of them. “Thank you, Lucina…” I whispered quietly to myself.

I slipped on the bracelet and stared at the wall behind the cold iron bars in front of me. Waiting for someone to come… or for something to happen. I wondered how everything else was going for my new “friends.” (Was what Chrom said really true…? They weren’t really friends…? Just waiting for the right moment to betray me?) Questions flooded my brain… questions that demanded answers. 

With those final thoughts, I lay my head down on the small bunk and closed my eyes. My senses around me were fading… I had originally felt pain and anguish in this new land, Ylisse… but now, I had gotten used to it. Perhaps this new land wasn’t going to be so bad after all… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My God... it's been almost two months since I've last updated this story... Sorry for being inactive for so long, I have two excuses... well, only one.  
> 1) I procrastinated and got distracted while working on the story. I also had a lack of motivation to write this story.  
> and  
> 2) I had online school and had to focus on that instead.  
> Hope you understand. :)
> 
> 12/1/20 UPDATE:  
> If you're wondering why nothing is getting updated on my stories, it's because of reasons 1 and 2. Also, I'm starting a bigger story that will take a while to complete. However, I will also focus on creating more chapters for this story. Thank you for listening.   
> (The bigger story is like over 4000 words so far, and that's only Chapter One, and it isn't even nearly completed yet... My brain is going to be fried by the end of this, I swear...)


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